It is related to laying
Like yours, mine have to wait for me to let them out (and keep an eye on them), because of a neighborhood dog. The defensive move into the hen house may have been something they sensed overhead. Mine did the same thing when a large raptor cast a big shadow by flying over the yard. They are very aware of their surroundings, even as goofy as they can be.OK... weird weird stuff going on....
I really don't have a visual on what squatting is so when i let the chickies out this afternoon i stood around
watching them to see if i could see anything.. They love to come out and zoom out of the coop at top speed
when I open it. (they have to stay inside until i get back from work because of the dogs).... Soooooo
there i am standing around, I have a buttercup who flies up and sits on my shoulder which she was doing....
and then suddenly they all took off running as fast as their little legs would go, all back into the coop...
one faverolle was left behind and she was sitting behind a garbage can making noises... shes' still sitting
there and the others now won't come out of the coop, they are all sitting on the floor iniside?????
so i was wondering if the faverolle was going to lay an egg but Nooooo she is just still sitting behind
the garbage can..
this is very very weird and still no eggs today either....
L
I think they sorta look like Leghorns but they are of mixed descent, I THINK...they also lay brown not white eggs....am I right Julie?
that's my "Betty White" they are a Sex Linked cross from Dunlaps hatchery in Caldwell ID, they have a description on this website and a nice one on Dunlaps too. So far a very nice chicken I have two they lay early(18-19 weeks)nice dark brown eggs not as in chocolate, but the darkest rich brown so far out of all mine...... Amber's are a White RIR roo and a Red RIR hen, I believe the golden SL are the opposite Red RIR roo and a White RIR hen from Dunlaps??? They told me when they molt they will get a splash more amber brown speckles on their backs as they mature, mine are still very white.
Unfortunately no, not really. You can be doing things that will make the process of laying easier and make the hens more comfortable, but as far as waving a magic metaphorical wand it doesn't work like that. You can make sure they are on layer feed, have extra oyster shell free choice, are getting plenty of good table greens and fruit scraps and have access to PLENTY of fresh, clean water. It's starting to cool down finally but the heat will get to a chicken and can affect her laying. Make sure you have nest boxes available with plenty of soft bedding (pine shavings, chop straw, pine needles etc.) and dummy eggs in place so the hens will know that this is a nest....a safe soft, quiet and prefferably darker place to lay. Watch for the "squat" They aren't far off once they start to squat (reach sexual maturity) How old are yours?
A few of them are already squating.... They love sitting in the nest squating..... I put dumby eggs in there...... Ah their over 18 weeks
