Broody Pullet?

[bblynn_chicken]

About an hour ago, I was walking around the yard with my four pullets. They love the attention, so I chill with my girls daily and they are very comfortable around me. I heard something shuffling around in their coop, and I saw it was a squirrel trying to steal their feed. I quickly shooed the rodent away with the help of my Plymouth Rock Henrietta, who is always up to the task of chasing birds and squirrels away. This time she seemed different about the squirrel attempting food theft and hurried up to the roost/nesting box area, where the pullets sleep. I looked inside to find her moving the two ceramic eggs inside the roost (placed there to tell them where to lay since they just started) and was building a nest very quickly. She used the wood shavings. I let her be for about five minutes. Then when I checked back in she was sitting on the two ceramic eggs and an additional egg she just laid (I could tell because it was wet). She is only about 19-20 weeks old. Is this normal? I checked back in and she is still sitting on the eggs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's normal for them to sit on eggs before and after they lay. She's not broody, just savoring the moment. Most hens sit for a bit after laying.

 

[aart]

This time she seemed different about the squirrel attempting food theft and hurried up to the roost/nesting box area, where the pullets sleep.

Your birds sleep in the nests instead of on the roost? Bad habit that would be good to break.

 

[bblynn_chicken]

Your birds sleep in the nests instead of on the roost? Bad habit that would be good to break.

It is a little complicated to explain. We call it the nesting box/roost at home, but really it's just a roost. I probably should have just said roost, sorry for the misleading words.

 

[aart]

It is a little complicated to explain.

A pic is worth a thousand words.
As long as they don't lay eggs in the same place that they sleep.