Frantic Chicken

[greensandjeans]

My chickens are 21 weeks and have not laid any eggs yet. Today my EE named Rosemary has been very vocal and frantic. She loudly proclaims "BAWK, BAWK, BAWK, BAWK" as she paces in and out of the coop and run, jumps up on top the nesting boxes, back down, up on the roost, down, outside, inside etc.

The other 3 are going about their normal daily behavior, eating, resting, dust bathing, but she just keeps pacing and squawking. If I hold her she'll calm down and rest a bit, but then goes back to her pacing etc.

Is this normal behavior as they prepare to lay their first egg? When do I need to worry that she might be egg bound or something?

I'd appreciate any advice.

 

[Impress]

Just let her be, sounds like she is about to lay one and is anxious about it.

 

[southerndesert]

Yup sounds like you will be seeing an egg soon....

 

[artsy1]

THATS SSSOOO FUNNY...............we just got our very first egg from my bantam RHODE ISLAND REDS on the 9th..same day as my hubbys b-day.
AMAZING............FRIED IT UP........WAS SO DELICIOUS

 

[greensandjeans]

Thanks for the advice. I thought as much, but being new to chickens you still get nervous with them when they act different. She's panting alot and seems warm even though the temps are 75 out today, and so I'm giving them some cucumbers and yogurt to make sure she's had enough liquids. I'll keep an eye out for a egg soon. She's not interested in being IN the nesting box, but on top, so I hope it doesn't fall to the ground and break when she lays it.

 

[greensandjeans]

Here it is!

I decided to put some straw in a box and set it on top of the nesting boxes, so she could be comfortable in there. When I went out to bring it to the coop, there she was standing over her freshly laid egg. She's so much calmer now. I'll leave the straw and box and see if she'll lay there tomorrow instead of on the board.

Here's a photo of her. Notice the wooden egg is in the nesting box below.

And the beautiful first egg.

 

[terrilhb]

CONGRATULATIONS.

 

[mickeymousears]

Yeah!!! That's a big one! My rir still hasn't laid one that big and its been 3 weeks or so.

I was going to say that's how my rir was acting one day- except pacing around me not around the coop so I brought her inside to sit with me where she was calm. Long story short I ended up having to break her habit of laying eggs in the house/my bed. So I was going to suggest you lock her in the coop until she lays- but she figured it out on her own

. Congrats!

 

[greensandjeans]

Mickymouseears, that's funny that she got in the habit of laying them inside.

The egg is not really that big. It's all about perspective. Here it is next to a regular sized wooden egg.

 

[hannakat]

Be-u-ti-ful blue egg! One of my young EEs started laying last week. I found 2 blue eggs in the box and was soooo eggcited! Pretty soon, I expect to find 3 blues!

btw....your hen is very pretty!