Dumb ? How long should it take to lay an egg.....

[Spikes Chooks]

My 7 month old Australorp has been in the nesting box for more than 3 hours and has only just emerged, having laid her egg. I checked on her a couple of times and did not get any broody behaviours, the noice, fluffing up and grumpiness.

She is now out and free ranging happily with the others. I took the dummy eggs out of the boxes last week as another chicken showed broody signs (broken by one day of being turfed out the box repeatedly- that one gave me the whole range of broody behaviours, but easily gave up!).

So, could the Australorp be getting broody? There were no eggs in there for her to sit on. Could she be egg bound, but managed to get it out in the end? Three hours seems a long time and I'm curious as to everyone's theories.

Thanks

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, sometimes the most restful place on the property is inside a nice nest box. Well, unless one of your flock mates stands outside yours and BAWKS for you to get a move on, as she needs to lay her egg and somebody is hogging the nest...

Not saying your hen isn't working up a good broody session, but she's not there yet. She may never get there, also. It's totally up to Mother Nature if or when a hen foes broody.

I have gals who spend an hour or so in the nest box and have never gone broody.

 

[sumi]

x2 what Gryeyes said. My girls also take their sweet time in the nest boxes some days.

 

[BantamWhisperer]

Same!

 

[Spikes Chooks]

It sounds like I shouldn't worry. It is hot here - summertime Down Under. Close to 100F so I worry about her overheating too. There are two other nesting boxes so amongst 4 chickens I hope there won't be a long queue!!!

Thanks, everyone, this forum is so great for a newbie. I always assumed they'd just pop in, do the thang, then pop out. Go figure!

Katrina