Broody after first egg?

[bethanyjbarrette]

Our first hen laid her first egg today, or possibly yesterday late afternoon. We think it was early this morning. She laid it from a perch and it broke on the ground so we threw it away, but now she is sitting in a nesting box, and has tucked a fake egg underneath her. I think she believes it's the egg she laid. Can a hen go broody after laying her very first egg? Or is she just confused and full of hormones? What should we do?

 

[sourland]

Not broody - she may even be preparing to lay an egg today.

 

[NatJ]

Can a hen go broody after laying her very first egg? Or is she just confused and full of hormones? What should we do?

You don't need to do anything.

It is normal for a hen to spend some time sitting on the nestbox, with eggs tucked underneath her, around the time she lays her own egg each day.

Broodiness is when she does that all the time, day and night, for weeks at a time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Pretty unlikely to go broody that soon after start of laying. I agree she may be trying to lay another, or is still getting used to the sensation/process and is testing out the nests.