ChickenLady♡
Songster
I have a young hen that has just turned 7 months - her name is Delilah. She is a sussex / wyandotte cross. She only started laying a few weeks ago and has laid fairly sporadically since (it is turning winter here and my few laying birds only seem to lay 2 or 3 times a week). On the couple of days I've seen Delilah lay she seems to spend a long time in the box and i end up pushing her out after an hour or two. Today she was in the nesting box when i left for work at 7.30am and she was still there when I got home at 5.30pm. She was sitting in several eggs so im not sure if someone else got in with her or if she has been in and out through the day. She didnt peck at me but she made a big squawking noise and seemed to be fairly 'spread out' or flattened out in the box (which I've read is something that broodies do). She wasn't going to budge so in the end I picked her up and put her on the ground but she stayed in that really flattened out position and sat on the ground rather than standing up or running off. I picked her up again and stirred her up a bit with some pats and put her down near the food bowl and she acted more normally and had something to eat. It was almost dark by that point so I'm presuming she has gone to bed with the others and not returned to the box (I took the eggs away).
Is she possibly going broody even though she's only a new layer and winter is about to hit? Or is she just acting this way because she has her 'L' plates on? Should I do anything specific with her - what if she does go broody and it will be winter soon?
Is she possibly going broody even though she's only a new layer and winter is about to hit? Or is she just acting this way because she has her 'L' plates on? Should I do anything specific with her - what if she does go broody and it will be winter soon?
