chicken behavior and egg laying

[birdsrus16]

We are new to the chicken laying and having chickens. My rhode island red started laying eggs two weeks ago. Since then the past week she has been wanting to sleep outside of the coup on a branch in our pen. She started out laying eggs a nice light brown then went to a pinkish brown color and now back to light brown. She did miss one or two days. None of the rest of my chickens are laying yet. We are trying to figure out why she may be wanting to sleep outside her nest and does her being the only egg layer have anything to do with it. Any help would be appreciated. I live in Georgia so it has been very hot during the day and in the 70's at night and we do have a lot of ventilation in their coup.

 

[ValerieJ]

I have had RIRs that preferred to sleep outside, even in the winter. I had to shovel snow so they could effectively launch up to a tree branch. If your run is predator proof, then I think it's fine.

 

[Newblet]

They are all very different, i personally saw a huge change in character when mine first started laying. They where very nervous around me, then one started to lay and became super social. The following week the other layed and became very social. Chickens are weird, enjoy there little quirks.

 

[aart]

The change on egg color is not unusual, it can take up to a month or so for things to smooth out.

When birds come into lay their demeanor's and the pecking order can change.
They can get cranky with the hormones surging.
Your coop may be well ventilated but is it big enough?

 

[birdsrus16]

The change on egg color is not unusual, it can take up to a month or so for things to smooth out.

When birds come into lay their demeanor's and the pecking order can change.
They can get cranky with the hormones surging.
Your coop may be well ventilated but is it big enough?

Thanks. Yes it is. We just upgraded size.