Stacey Adele
Chirping
- Jun 2, 2024
- 40
- 50
- 61
Hi! I am really appreciating all the advice I am getting on this forum. I am wondering how long a hen usually will stay in the nesting box to lay an egg, and is there a point when I should be concerned?
I've had a laying hen for about a week, and she has given me an egg every day, except her 2nd morning here (so after her first full 24 hrs). I don't know if this was due to stress, or she actually laid it outside somewhere because she wasn't confident about finding her way back (we kept her in the run/coop for her first afternoon and full day, but the next day let her out with our other 2 who looked after her and kept her close - to them, not the coop). Apart from that day, and today, the egg has already been there when I go out in the morning. Today there was no egg when I let them all out, but after about 45 minutes of acting a little odd at the water (in and out a lot, looking around, lots of head bobbing), she showed herself back to the coop and the nesting box, all alone. I sat in earshot and she was in there quite a while, like probably 30 min, and for the first half she was shuffling around quite a bit. Eventually, our other ducks came looking for her and she came out, et voila! There was another beautiful egg! I am wondering if this is all perfectly normal, or will she get bunged up from any delay in laying? Should I be keeping her inside until she lays? I don't want her to be cooped up if it isn't necessary, and judging by today, it seems it isn't!
Having said ALL that, I really just want to know how long is normal for them to stay in the box, and is shuffling around normal?
Thanks!
I've had a laying hen for about a week, and she has given me an egg every day, except her 2nd morning here (so after her first full 24 hrs). I don't know if this was due to stress, or she actually laid it outside somewhere because she wasn't confident about finding her way back (we kept her in the run/coop for her first afternoon and full day, but the next day let her out with our other 2 who looked after her and kept her close - to them, not the coop). Apart from that day, and today, the egg has already been there when I go out in the morning. Today there was no egg when I let them all out, but after about 45 minutes of acting a little odd at the water (in and out a lot, looking around, lots of head bobbing), she showed herself back to the coop and the nesting box, all alone. I sat in earshot and she was in there quite a while, like probably 30 min, and for the first half she was shuffling around quite a bit. Eventually, our other ducks came looking for her and she came out, et voila! There was another beautiful egg! I am wondering if this is all perfectly normal, or will she get bunged up from any delay in laying? Should I be keeping her inside until she lays? I don't want her to be cooped up if it isn't necessary, and judging by today, it seems it isn't!
Having said ALL that, I really just want to know how long is normal for them to stay in the box, and is shuffling around normal?
Thanks!
