BlueDawnRising
Songster
I have a 6 month old Buff Orpington who started laying less than a month ago. She is one of 6 BOs of that age and part of a mixed flock totaling 19. The other 13 are 20 weeks and just starting to lay. I have a large Hen Gear rollout box that, after adding bedding the first week, has been where all of the pullets have laid, without fail.
Yesterday, Marge was in the box for about 4 hours. I assumed it was just taking her a little longer than usual to lay and let her be. She laid her egg but didn’t move out of the box. She had taken all other eggs and tucked them under her, including the fake ones. She was irritated with anyone else that tried to get into the box, growling and puffing up. She also pecked at me when I tried to gather the eggs with the same puffed look. I took her out of the box. When I locked them in last night, she was back in the box, refusing to leave. I moved her out and closed the bar. She complained, paced back and forth and attempted to get in. When it didn’t work, she went to the roost but complained the entire time. After it was pretty dark, I opened the box for morning. She knew what was happening but stayed on the roost, growling.
This morning, she wasn’t in the box when I first checked. She didn’t go in until mid morning but then refused to leave. I left her for a few hours, thinking she was laying, and when she didn’t, I took her out. She chased all the other chickens that attempted to enter the coop, pecking and yanking their feathers. They couldn’t get anywhere near the nest box. One laid in the run, which is not a habit I want them to get into. I put them all out to free range, thinking that might occupy her but it did not. She came right back in. I closed the bar, she practically hung herself trying to go under it. I put her out and blocked access to the door with a bucket, she knocked it over and flew right up to the nest box. I left her, setting a timer for 30 minutes, and in that time, she had laid an egg. I feel pretty confident it was hers because I was in the coop the entire time and everyone else was free ranging. I let her sit for an hour before moving her out. She was unhappy. I opened the back of the box, propping it open with water jugs to limit her space and when I got back, she was balancing on the edge, puffed up and growling. She was back in the box when I closed it up for the night. I did the same thing I did last night but tonight, when she went to the roost, she pecked everyone within reach, pretty hard.
All of that to say, she isn’t broody if she is still laying, right? But what in the world is happening then?!
Yesterday, Marge was in the box for about 4 hours. I assumed it was just taking her a little longer than usual to lay and let her be. She laid her egg but didn’t move out of the box. She had taken all other eggs and tucked them under her, including the fake ones. She was irritated with anyone else that tried to get into the box, growling and puffing up. She also pecked at me when I tried to gather the eggs with the same puffed look. I took her out of the box. When I locked them in last night, she was back in the box, refusing to leave. I moved her out and closed the bar. She complained, paced back and forth and attempted to get in. When it didn’t work, she went to the roost but complained the entire time. After it was pretty dark, I opened the box for morning. She knew what was happening but stayed on the roost, growling.
This morning, she wasn’t in the box when I first checked. She didn’t go in until mid morning but then refused to leave. I left her for a few hours, thinking she was laying, and when she didn’t, I took her out. She chased all the other chickens that attempted to enter the coop, pecking and yanking their feathers. They couldn’t get anywhere near the nest box. One laid in the run, which is not a habit I want them to get into. I put them all out to free range, thinking that might occupy her but it did not. She came right back in. I closed the bar, she practically hung herself trying to go under it. I put her out and blocked access to the door with a bucket, she knocked it over and flew right up to the nest box. I left her, setting a timer for 30 minutes, and in that time, she had laid an egg. I feel pretty confident it was hers because I was in the coop the entire time and everyone else was free ranging. I let her sit for an hour before moving her out. She was unhappy. I opened the back of the box, propping it open with water jugs to limit her space and when I got back, she was balancing on the edge, puffed up and growling. She was back in the box when I closed it up for the night. I did the same thing I did last night but tonight, when she went to the roost, she pecked everyone within reach, pretty hard.
All of that to say, she isn’t broody if she is still laying, right? But what in the world is happening then?!
