Hen in Agitated sort of Search

[Bogtown Chick]

My Buff Orpington Hen/Pullet is just about 5 months old. Today when I went home for lunch she was with the rest of the flock near by but she was on the deck of the house looking in corners and cracks behind flower pots almost more busily than usual. Then she flew up on the Dog Kennel Wire wall without cause or worry from any Rooster or anything to be worried about. And as I left she was in the garage all by herself on the tool bench searching or looking busily. She's panting but not readily wanting to drink any cool water like the rest did. My thoughts are either she's ill or she's looking for a good spot to lay her very first egg....? We're new and I'm not sure on how to rate her behavior. Her Roo and best friend looks worried watching her too. Anyone see a free range hen acting this way before laying an egg (I hope). Thanks so much in advance for your kind support. Just an FYI she ate one of Grandma's earrings a week ago today. But that's down the list of concerns for me right now unless somebody has a different opinion on that.

 

[spikennipper]

Yes, sounds like she is going to lay an egg, my hen Bella is like this, she has a nest box and does lay in there but every now and then she decides to stash them else where, she will inspect every possible nest place usually somewhere secluded with some type of nesting material, she gets quite stressed by it all, I often end up locking her in the coop so she just lays in the nest box and stops all the silliness! my other girl does not do this and knows to lay in the nest box, I once found ten eggs stashed in a plant pot that was half full of soil I thought she hadn't laid in a while

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oh my, thank you So much for your re assurance. I'm so excited to tell the kids. When I get them off the school bus I think we'll get Sunny into the coop if she's still acting this way and see if she'll settle into a nest box for our VERY FIRST EGG which my husband claims at this point is valued at about $3,000. Haha.

 

[cary 1973]

my bo same issue yesterday then isisited on my desk as her nesting spot what you described was my cherrios now she gave me 2 eggs

Link to addventure yesterday:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/705668/help-stat

 

[Bogtown Chick]

OUR FIRST EGG, INDEED! Got the kids home and no Sunny with the rest of the flock. I told the kids to start looking for her. She wasn't in the coop. Found her in a snaggle of Russian Sage Bushes peeping a little and panting still. We carried her back to the coop. Got her some fresh water and food which she took (poor girl--too busy to eat or drink). Freshened up the nesting box with more shavings and some long grass I clipped out of the woods and she went to town fixing up that nest box.




Once she got settled, my daughter sat and watched her. She made her strage little noises and we heard the egg drop. We're in total wonder with this first egg.




Not Broody yet apparently...LOL. Pretty good sized egg for a first I thought. I have big German Hands.



This was a precious Moment: Heidi in wonder of our little Hen.




Thanks for your support BYC members. What a great website. What a great day.

 

[NovaAman]

YAY! Don't eat it... Blow it and keep it! Or if you eat it, make sure you enjoy the most expensive egg ever! LOL

 

[DobermanGuy]

Good gosh that egg is HUGE!

 

[lizanne]

Wow!!! I'm jealous!! My first egg was tiny, that one is HUGE!! Did it have 2 yolks?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

YAY! Don't eat it... Blow it and keep it! Or if you eat it, make sure you enjoy the most expensive egg ever! LOL

OH my gosh, what a great idea! I have an egg blower too, I could use. I used to make Ukranian Painted Eggs when I used to have more time on my hands (Before kids.) I am curious to see if it's a double yolker. I'll talk to the kids about it. See if they want to save it and paint it fancy in honor of Sunny or celebrate it in a Breakfast sort of way. Such good ideas on here.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Wow!!! I'm jealous!! My first egg was tiny, that one is HUGE!! Did it have 2 yolks?

I was figuring on a small egg too, being this is the first. I told the kids not to expect much or even a deformity as her reproductive system is young yet. I couldn't get over it. Somebody suggested blowing it out and keeping it as keepsake, or I'll ask the kids if they want fried egg tomorrow AM! Thanks for checking us out Lizanne, we're so excited.