Did she go broody?

[AspiringUrbaniteFarmer]

Last night I stayed out past dark (rare these days) and I came home to my ONLY LAYER ON TOP OF HER EGG! Every day I check her lately, she's been taking HOURS to lay an egg & is in a daze as she "tries." What would you all say?

 

[galanie]

In a daze? Like "pancake zombie?" And almost never gets up? Yep. Broody.

On the other hand if she just sits in there a couple hours, well, mine take forever to lay sometimes too. But the daze makes me think "Broody!"

 

[AspiringUrbaniteFarmer]

Pancake zombie made me crack up & yeah......... I was REALLY worried she was SICK! I thought, oh no, lethargic, listless...I could pick her up when she was laying & she'd take a few min to snap out of it. I only interfered to check her & ... uhm, apply olive oil b/c I was concerned she might be "egg bound."

If I didn't find a hot egg under her around 9pm, I'd still be all worried. Thank goodness she was practically asleep when I took her egg. It is definitely not fertile- checked it... no one to get it fertile around here, but I started worrying about the neighborhood Ibis birds knocking her up or something. That's RIDICULOUS but who knows?! haha.

 

[Happy Chooks]

She could have just been laying late and since chickens can't see in the dark, she would sleep there for the night. I've had it happen and then the next day they popped off the nest and went about their business. But if she stays on all day and the next night, and puffs up at you when you reach for any eggs, then you've got a broody.

 

[AspiringUrbaniteFarmer]

Thanks. I got IN the coop, put her on the roost, & then moved her friend to "block" her from going back to the nesting boxes... woke up to her in the box early this morning. I actually thought she was DEAD in there so I talked to her until she bawk bawk bawwwked just to make sure.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Well, sounds like she's thinking of going broody. If she quits laying and stays in the nest, even at night, then she's broody.

 

[AspiringUrbaniteFarmer]

She hasn't left her nest all day. I bought her 6 fertile eggs on E-bay. We'll see how it goes. If she turns out to be a crappy mother, I have a friend w/ a bator as a backup.