How long do you wait before intervening with a slow layer? (UPDATED)

[thecatumbrella]

Sorry, I have no idea how to phrase this question.

I have a new layer. She's been really consistent, but has only been laying for about a week and a half. She had a bit of trouble with her first egg (puffed up, lethargic). Calcium citrate fixed her right up.

Today, she's been in the nest box for over two hours. I went to check on her. She's bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and talkative. I did offer a crushed calcium citrate mixed with some wet mash and she gobbled it down.

Diet is 20% all flock with oyster shell and the new "LitChicks" on the side. She does eat from the calcium cup.

I understand not everyone's chickens live in some Orwellian society with cameras monitoring their every move, so I'm probably jumping the gun with calcium citrate and fussing over her. What do you guys think? I'm planning to check on her in another hour, but have no idea what my next move would be other than examining her vent.

Any tips or suggestions are much appreciated. I'm still relatively new at having laying hens!

 

[thecatumbrella]

She was starting to go broody. My 19 week-old Cochin Bantam, who has laid exactly 9 eggs (she was secretly sitting on this morning's), started to go broody.

New question...

Is broodiness like a light switch? Or is there a transition period between "Everything's fine!" and "Touch me and I'll kill you!"? Because she was her happy-go-lucky self. Just sitting on a nest. Booted her out and she acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. Didn't even try to go back in!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

She was starting to go broody. My 19 week-old Cochin Bantam, who has laid exactly 9 eggs (she was secretly sitting on this morning's), started to go broody.

New question...

Is broodiness like a light switch? Or is there a transition period between "Everything's fine!" and "Touch me and I'll kill you!"? Because she was her happy-go-lucky self. Just sitting on a nest. Booted her out and she acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. Didn't even try to go back in!

It varies from hen to hen. I have some that will tear you up the minute they have committed to set, and others seem to build up to it (the longer they sit the nastier they get) She may not be fully committed yet, so if you don't want her setting keep a close eye on her.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

She was starting to go broody. My 19 week-old Cochin Bantam, who has laid exactly 9 eggs (she was secretly sitting on this morning's), started to go broody.

New question...

Is broodiness like a light switch? Or is there a transition period between "Everything's fine!" and "Touch me and I'll kill you!"? Because she was her happy-go-lucky self. Just sitting on a nest. Booted her out and she acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. Didn't even try to go back in!

My Buff Orp started easing into broodiness. Staying in the nestbox, a little fluffy when lying down but not otherwise, very vocal but not nuts.

A couple of sessions with a battery-powered cordless camping fan blowing on her seemed to end it. Or at least postpone it.

The Barred Rock went from her version of normal to full out fluffy rage in 24 hours. She’s the first one who got the fan treatment (she was panting badly while growling on the nest), and it knocked her right out of it. She was blocking the others from the other nest box and all.