First layer decided to go broody on me

[GimmeCake]

Recently I got my first egg. I didn't know who exactly layed it although due to that it was speckled I assumed it was one of my Plymouth Rocks. I was right. I went into my coop earlier to check for anymore "surprises" (no, not that kind of surprise) and I saw my Plymouth Rock sitting where the egg was typically layed! She finally got up, only for me to figure out she wasn't laying another egg, she was brooding a golf ball (it was surprisingly warm, which made me think that in this 50 degree temperature outside, she'd been sitting on it for a while) . Right after she got up she layed an egg right in front of me right away (never seen a chicken lay in egg outside of the internet). I took out the egg, washed it off, and set it on my counter. I went back out to the coop and found she was sitting back on that golf ball. Now I'm stuck with a broody hen who thinks she has the skill to hatch a golf ball. Now what? I wouldn't think she'd sit on A golf ball at a time. And because of them the egg dropping accuracy has been great from the start (although she can do a bit better). So I don't want to remove them. Is there something that will easily break this habit? Remove the golf ball from under her and put it somewhere else? Remove the golf ball and stare at her with a uncomfortable look? Just stare at her with an uncomfortable look? Ideas?

 

[mmclaughlin]

not sure what to tell you as I am new to raising chickens. I too have a girl BA who is laying but loves to also sit on golf balls she actually moves them from other nesting boxes to sit on "multiple" she is not nasty about me asking her to move along but I do find her sitting often!!
good luck!! I'm sure she's just new at this fun game!!

 

[GimmeCake]

Well, she still hasn't layed another egg for a few days. I'm worried they may have eaten them, although I can't find any signs an egg was cracked anywhere in the coop. She is part-time broody (broody when it's cold, not when it's warm, terrible, terrible mother), so is that enough to stop her egg production? Or is full-time broody what stops egg production?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I don't know what to tell you except that she is a young hen and as she gets a little older I think that this to shall pass. Broody hens don't typically lay, LOL they just sit there.

 

[dwalters]

Broodys also tend to puff up and sometimes make a growl type noise if you try to move them off their nest

 

[GimmeCake]

She layed an egg today (I think she layed it as it's not a "beginner's" size egg, but I'm just guessing here). I found her sitting there on the golf ball and an egg under her. It was the first egg in a few days. But she's still broody.