Battle ax Hen ? Bully ? egg eater

[superchemicalgirl]

I have an approximately 9 month old blue andalusian pullet named Tonya Harding. She, I'm 99% certain, does not lay eggs anymore - she had a brief stint back in September/October of laying sporadically a few times a week. Since it's been cold the past few months I haven't really seen her leave the coop (know that I also work >40 hours per week, so sometimes I don't see them since the nights are still long).

However, I've seen some shocking behavior from her. She fights with my rooster. She's growing SPURS!

I've been on "vacation" (ok, hatch-cation) the past week and I've been seeing more of the girls. Today I was in the coop stalking the nest boxes trying to get warm eggs for someone who wants some of my eggs for hatching. I noticed Tonya jump up a few times on the nest box perch looking in the boxes. She jumped into one that didn't have anything it it and started scratching around. I shooed her out. Then one of my black star pullets went into a nest and laid an egg. As soon as she stuck her head out of the nest box Tonya grabbed her by the back of her neck with her beak and threw her out of the box. I then threw Tonya out of the coop at that point, and got the egg. At the same time that this was happening in one of the upper levels a white leghorn had just sit down to nest. I went inside, made breakfast, and then came outside. When I got outside the leghorn was out of the nestbox but Tonya was in it. There was no leghorn egg, but no mess that I could see from a broken/eaten egg.

I subsequently grabbed Tonya and put her in a cage in my basement for some jail time.

What do you think is going on with this girl?! She's a sweet girl to me, she loves to sit on my lap and be cuddled and petted.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Got a good dumpling recipe to go with her?

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Okay, first of all, I think the name is h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s!! So you've actually seen her laying an egg? Even if she was a roo she'd be an ornery one.

I'm anxious to see what others say 'cause I'm clueless.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
Thanks, she got the name one night when I was out in the coop looking at them when they were going to roost. She wanted a better spot on the roost and so she kept pecking at another hen's kneecap. And the name was born...

 

[growinupinfl]

Is it possible that she wants to sit on eggs? If she is wanting to go broody that could explain her fighting for eggs.
Maybe she is in premature menopause and knows her biological clock is ticking...

Try putting a simple nest box, (shoe box, plastic box, etc) with some eggs in it and see what she does.. If she attacks the eggs she has gone way crazy. Now if she starts settling down to brood some eggs you could have an answer to your problem...

Or she is just a screaming witch.. who is taking everyone with her into psycho land..

Christal

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
I laughed so hard with "premature menopause" - AT NINE MONTHS OF AGE?! HAHAHA.

The plot now gets more confusing: I just got a 4th white egg today - so it appears she threw the leghorn off her nest before she laid. Now what?!

 

[radiodog]

My blue andy hen was very bossy...after my rooster died, she took over the coop and even mounted the other hens. She still laid nice white eggs. Andulasians are very smart and very independent. They prefer to free range...mine could not because of where I live so I made my chickpen very large.

btw..I have a blue splash andy that appears to be growing spurs too....its about the same age as yours. I'm 99% sure its a pullet...there are no hackles anywhere on the bird....but I still worry about that 1%.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

And I'm certain she's a hen. She lays a cream colored egg. I have 4 white egg layers and 2 that lay cream. I've had days where I've gotten 4 white and 2 cream (I keep good records). She hasn't laid since the end of October.

Also after her jail time is over... is there any worry with me throwing her back into the cold? She'll be 2 weeks in my basement which is about 60 degrees. It's below freezing during the day here. I have a garage that's about 40 degrees but I have my car and snowblower in it and I don't want to expose her to fumes.