I am majorly confused..... We have had a Bantam Cochin hen for a few months now, which was still laying when we got her, she's around 2 yrs old. We get 3-4 eggs a week from her usually. Sometimes she goes 3-4 days without laying one, which we have just chalked up to her age. Well one day a few weeks ago, I found a big shelless egg plopped on the floor of the coop. Apparently dropped from the roosts. I got excited and thought it was a first egg from my Standard Cochin or Exchequer, but no eggs followed. So we gave up looking and now figure the Bantam Cochin had a mishap. We hadn't gotten an egg from her in a couple of days, when I found that one on the floor. My problem is, we introduced new hens last week and my Cochin wouldn't go into the coop for 2 days to lay an egg...til she got used to the new hens. Now I can't get her to leave the nesting box! She went in there the day before yesterday in the evening, spent the night in the box, was still there in the morning. She left the nest for a bit several times yesterday during the day, but kept going back. She spent last night there again, and is still there today. How can I tell if she's going broody or just wants to lay an egg which isn't coming out? She fusses at me when I pick her up, I don't feel an egg inside her though. She is sitting on the golf ball I have in there. How long should I give her before I worry something might be wrong and try to help? How can I tell the difference between a stuck egg and being broody? Or is it just possible she stopped laying because she's broody? Sorry for the long post and thanks for any help!! ETA: This is my first real chicken experience, I've only had all my chickens for 4 months.
I am hoping thats what it is, and not an egg problem. I can find eggs for her to hatch, but don't want to lose her to an illness. She's a real sweetie.
