how does a chicken act before she pushes out an egg?

[rkellenberger]

hello! new here from north carolina. i have 3 barred rocks, around laying age. one started laying last month, one a week or so ago and one close. i was doing the morning chicken thing today and noticed the middle chicken(recent layer) acting very strange. almost angry. she started squawking very angrily and walking around the yard. she would jump into the coop, scratch around her nest, jump out, squawk around, jump in, repeat for about 10 minutes. finally she got into her nest and laid very low with her tail in the air and calmed down. is this behavior telling of an egg about to come? btw: we found out she was laying because i was adding hay the other day and noticed 6 eggs in the corner of the coop. not in the nest boxes built into the side with fake eggs in them. the big chicken lays in one of them. we took all 6 eggs away and she hasnt layed since. we found out the big chicken was laying the exact same way, but we just had not checked the nest boxes. thanks for the help.

 

[waitin on eggs]

I'm no expert but my girls like privacy!! If I open the door or try to do chores while they are in there they get all pissy and throw fits. I also leave a golf ball in the nest box at all times. Mine have been laying since the end of october. Good luck to you

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Hi, and welcome!

I've watched a few hens actually lay an egg. Ours will hop into a nest box and sit for up to 30 mins. As they get ready to actually lay the egg, they will stand up and squat their vent downward. During that time they go into a trance like state and sometimes you can even hear them push (breathing changes). The egg comes out (wet) and she pauses for about a min and then will sit back on it for a few mins to rest. Then, she will get up and cackle (do the "egg song").

Now, pullets may act a little differently until they get the hang of what they are supposed to do. Some will lay as they roost at night, or lay on the ground, or even under the coop. Some hens are more vocal and "crazy" acting than others.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yes, she's getting ready to lay. They will lay down in the nesting box (or wherever they choose to make a nest), get it all settled the way they like it, then when they are ready to lay the egg they will stand, sometimes some grunting, their body will get tight and you'll see them relax instantly when the egg comes out. Some will then lay back down on the egg and rest for a while.

Most of my hens got very vocal the day they started laying.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

When mine began to lay, they were frantic...like they didn't know what to do but knew it had to do with the nest boxes...in and out, squawking and carrying on. After they have laid for a couple of weeks, it usually calms down...then there is Petunia (BO) who is a screamer...she starts screaming each morning before she produces the egg.

 

[bills]

I had one hen that seemed to have a tradition of scratching all the straw of chips out of the center of the nest box, before laying. I always wondered if that was a little exercise she did to loosen things up a bit, so she could pass the egg easier.