Easter egger pullet broody after laying only 3 eggs?

[michiele]

We are new to chickens. We have 8 all together - all pullets. I have 2 Easter egger pullets. They are both 6 months old. One just started laying this week - we got 3 eggs on 3 straight days. Not sure which one doing the laying but I thought EE1. Well, today I went out to the nest box and found EE2 sitting in the nest area, all fat and happy like. We checked for an egg, but she was sitting on the fake egg we have in there. So, I wonder if she is the one doing the laying the last few days... My main questions: Is this a broody bird, when she is just sitting there on that fake egg? And is it normal for such a new layer to be broody? Is it possible that EE1 is the one laying but EE2 is starting to think about laying and that is why she is sitting in the nest box?

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

I don't think EE's are particularly prone to going broody. Maybe she's just getting ready to lay?

 

[galanie]

They can go broody after even just one egg. She could also just be taking her time about laying an egg. Pretty much you'll know she's broody if she stays in that box all night. She could be practicing like you suspect as well, and not be broody at all.

 

[donrae]

In my experience, hens spend a lot of time in the nest box. It's not, climb in, lay an egg, and climb out. They hang out there, get comfy, kinda go into an "egg trance", then lay. I have some I think hang out for a while after laying, too, and some I think just huddle there on and off through out the day. If she's broody, she won't move and will peck you if you try to mess with her. I doubt she's broody, but time will tell.

 

[smarsh2]

I had a pullet to go broody after about a month of laying, but I suspect yours is just working on figuring the laying part out.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

My girls take anywhere from 30 min to 1 hr to lay an egg. Some will change nest boxes 3 different time before finally getting down to business. Then there are others that get all huffy, because their favorite nest box is being used.

 

[michiele]

Ah ha! She is not broody. She laid a nice light blue egg I looked outside about 30 minutes after I posted this and I saw her with her sister out in the yard. I ran out to the nest box and sure enough, there was an egg This might have been her first one. The others from the last 3 days were greenish, but this one was light blue I didn't realize they spent so much time in there before they lay! She was out there a good hour! Thanks for the help!

MIchiele

 

[ChicKat]

Congratulations on your new layers, and your green and blue eggs! How great to always be able to tell which hen has laid the egg.

 

[BackyardBantams]

Glad your hen wasn't going broody, but on this note my Barred Rock Bantam is doing almost this exact same thing. She just started laying last week and now she'll go into the nest box, even after she's layed her egg, and 'play house'. She'll get in there, tuck the fake egg underneath her, rearrange nesting material, cackle like crazy, all over the span of 1-1 1/2 hours. Then just get up and leave like nothing happened.

 

[MamiPollo]

Congratulations on your new green and blue eggs!

One of my araucanas just started laying this week. Before she laid her first egg she made several nests. She scared me because she was not out with the others and I could not find her. I found her in the hen house making nests in the straw. She would make a nest, get cozy in it and sit there a while. Then she would get up and go outside and sing an egg song.

Then she would come back in, make another nest, sit there a while, then get up and fuss. Start yet another nest and repeat.

I finally got tired of watching her and went back in the house. When I came back a few hours later, there was a little green egg in the middle of the biggest nest.

Apparently things have to be just right.

Oh, and I have a nest box. Hazel just likes to do things her own way, I guess!