Did your chicken act really different before she layed?

[swampcat]

Did she?

I ask because my Nelly has been acting very odd. For example, she has had this obsession with getting into my husband's garage. She had been in there one and was shoo-ed out... but today and yesterday she is making it her life's mission to get in. She did get in unbeknownst to my husband and he found her wandering around in a corner covered in cobwebs. Yesterday she followed me into the house which she has never done before. A few minutes ago, she ran full boar across the yard to follow my daughter into the coop. What's with this erratic behavior? Normally she does talk a lot, but she has been squawking very loud and just acting strange... like she is more nervous than normal. Is it kind of like when we get a little premenstrual? She is 20 weeks and has been squatting for about a month and has red comb and wattles so I'm assuming she will lay any day now.
Is this normal or is my chicken losing her mind and consumed by paranoia?

 

[swampcat]

And once again...
Apparently hubby had to remove her from the garage 5 times this evening.
She came squawking at the front door so I opened it and she came right in the house and looked around like she was missing something... then went back out the door. What is going on with this chicken?!

 

[johnwinters]

If she hasn't started laying yet she may be looking for a place. Even if you have nice nest boxes in your coop, if she is not confined she may have decided she likes your garage better. My hens are all in pens so I don't know exactly how they would act if loose - best of luck to you, sorry I couldn't be more helpful!

 

[swampcat]

I was thinking she was looking for a place to lay, but for two days now? The coop has some very nice nesting boxes and some have more privacy than the others, so she has an assortment to choose from. I will definitely have a nice box ready in the house... maybe I can have my eggs delivered?

 

[gvilledh]

Is there anyway you can confine her to the coop for a day, or at least for a few hours during the time she seems most restless? Maybe that will help her settle into one of the nestboxes.

 

[johnwinters]

Sometimes when a pullet is going to begin to lay she will be restless for a few days before, pacing, setting on a nest, then pacing some more. Though if she doesn't lay with a week or so, I'm stumped too.

 

[GardenGal]

We had our first egg after days of our big girl acting upset, freaking others out, getting bit. She finally decided it was time to concentrate on egg laying, and marched up to a nesting box every morning for 3 days. Then she laid an egg and went back to normal. It must be a big deal to them.

 

[swampcat]

Quote:
It's actually rather sporadic. One minute she will be sneaking into the garage and the next she will be happily eating grass. She really hates being penned (I pen them if I have to go somewhere and she sits at the door and complains VERY loudly). I've seen her in and out of the boxes and the golf balls had been rearranged. It's just very weird behavior. I hope the whole flock doesn't act like this when the younger crew gets ready to lay!

 

[karlamaria]

Put her in the pen lock it up and she will go into the coop and lay in the nest box. my birds were all like this. I had to lock them up one by one so they laid in the coop. I have 4 out of 5 now laying and the one gal is still not interested in laying. all 4 of mine were trying to find a spot out of coop until they could not get out of the run and in the yard. put a ball in the nest boxes, she will choose the nest. mine all chose the same box LOL

 

[epeloquin]

I had read that you should leave your girls in their coop until midmorning when they are at that stage. I have six that are 19 weeks old with several squatting. They remain in their coop until between 8:30 and 9:30. My girls do sit in the nesting boxes. They particularly like to perch on the edge of them. I also read that you should be sure there is plenty of bedding to make it cushy in their. I use straw. I think the intent is that they will find the nesting boxes comfy and convenient enough that when the time comes they will naturally use the nesting boxes.