Advice please - unusual pullet behaviour

[Ted Brown]

We have a pullet (ISA Brown, 10 months old) who appears to be staying in one of the nest boxes for the night. We have never had this in the 5+ months we have had them, all birds have always gone to the roost.

General circumstances:

• our seven ISA pullets lay on a daily basis usually 7 eggs occasionally 6; in the past week we have had 6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 6, 6.
• we have eight Ameraucana mixes born early October; we think we have 4 cockerels/4 females; they are all maturing - males very interested in the females (all of them) and the females are showing interest in the nest boxes although no eggs as yet.
• yesterday we turned the bedding on the floors and added a bale of pine shavings; all birds were greatly interested in every turn checking for whatever but not apparent that there were insects.
• we have an elevated 10' by 16' Woods fresh air coop; access during the day to a run underneath; not heated; 15 birds total, as yet no sign of fighting or stress.
• they get two food types a 16% layers mash and a 22% duck starter crumble; we give them treats (try very hard to stick to the not more than 10% rule): shredded carrots, cutoff greens, sunflower seeds, occasional scrambled eggs, etc.; today they got cilantro bottoms, bok choy bottoms, lettuce, cabbage, basil.

We have not done anything with the nest bound pullet, only recognized that her behavior had changed late in the day, checked a few minutes ago (it is about 7pm and gets dark around 5:30-6pm).

Thoughts, things to check, anything would be most welcome.

 

[sourland]

I see two possibilities. Perhaps the cockerels are harassing her as she tries to go to the roost, or perhaps she has gone broody. It's not particularly common with sex links, but it does happen. If it were me for starters the cockerels would be moved to their own pen away from the hens/pullets.

 

[Coykoi]

She may be going broody. I had one go broody at 7 months. If she starts puffing up and making velociraptor sounds, you may likely have a broody girl.

 

[50-45-1]

Is it possible she is low on the pecking order and bullied from the root area.
I have one older hen i actually let stay in my nest box if she desires. She is around seven years old, name Everest because as a chick she had white on top and dark down low, like a snow covered mountain.
Well, Everest is an exception as she Will Not and Has Not Ever pooped in the nest box.
She is a smart bird.
Back to your hen, is it possible she is going broody?

 

[50-45-1]

Fall if 2018 i rescued 6 3 year old isa brown production hens.
When spring came , one went broody and hatched 5 chicks.

 

[Ted Brown]

I love this place, answers quickly, much appreciated.

As to broody we don't know. Newbies with chickens only since last September. We will research what the signs are and keep our eyes peeled.

She is not low on the totem pole, but so far we have a very cooperative flock so again do not have a lots of experience with signs.

We have no pecking other than quick jabs that mean get out of my way. Our males are getting randy and cover the hens through the day. As often as not the "attentive" males gets chased off by one of the ISAs or by another male; this behaviour only in the past few weeks. We do not have an option to remove the males without a massive scramble in heavy snow and mostly cold temperatures.

 

[chrissynemetz]

If she's broody it will become obvious. She'll want to stay on the nest even at night, and she'll get upset when you take her out. She'll be all fluffed up and grouchy.

 

[aart]

These are my go-to broody signs...
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
Are there feathers in the nest, and missing from her breast/belly?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[Jedstar]

We have a pullet (ISA Brown, 10 months old) who appears to be staying in one of the nest boxes for the night. We have never had this in the 5+ months we have had them, all birds have always gone to the roost.

General circumstances:

• our seven ISA pullets lay on a daily basis usually 7 eggs occasionally 6; in the past week we have had 6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 6, 6.
• we have eight Ameraucana mixes born early October; we think we have 4 cockerels/4 females; they are all maturing - males very interested in the females (all of them) and the females are showing interest in the nest boxes although no eggs as yet.
• yesterday we turned the bedding on the floors and added a bale of pine shavings; all birds were greatly interested in every turn checking for whatever but not apparent that there were insects.
• we have an elevated 10' by 16' Woods fresh air coop; access during the day to a run underneath; not heated; 15 birds total, as yet no sign of fighting or stress.
• they get two food types a 16% layers mash and a 22% duck starter crumble; we give them treats (try very hard to stick to the not more than 10% rule): shredded carrots, cutoff greens, sunflower seeds, occasional scrambled eggs, etc.; today they got cilantro bottoms, bok choy bottoms, lettuce, cabbage, basil.

We have not done anything with the nest bound pullet, only recognized that her behavior had changed late in the day, checked a few minutes ago (it is about 7pm and gets dark around 5:30-6pm).

Thoughts, things to check, anything would be most welcome.

Do you have any roosters. Either way. With or without a rooster. She might have gone Clucky. Broody. Wanting to sit on eggs.

 

[Ted Brown]

The behaviour started yesterday and she remained in the nest box overnight. She left the box this morning, went up onto the roost then to the food dispensers. Sister was only in for 5 minutes so will have to track her activities in the next days.

We do know that some eggs have "blastodiscs" so have been fertilized (Susan made hollandaise yesterday so separated yokes from whites and examined with a magnifying glass).

As to "managing" it we are quite prepared to hatch out more chicks and would prefer a natural process. We are concerned about our weather as we still get days of -20C or lower and worry about eggs freezing.

Much appreciate the comments on things to watch for as we had no idea.