I thought I had just figured out what my 2 girls were doing. One laying, the other not, one molting, one not. Most days one egg, then two. Then one went broody, then I was getting 2 eggs. Then back to one egg. Now it's 2 eggs today and both girls took turns in the nest. I thought the one that had been broody was hiding her eggs, and maybe she was. I 've decided today that I'm done worrying and wondering. Hopefully I'll never have any real worry about them, because I've decided that I overreacted. I'm a newbie, but I think I'm right about just letting them do what they do, because I think they know what they're doing...right???
Quote:Exactly. I have 16 hens. Some of them I know are laying, but I don't know every one that's laying and I'd drive myself nuts, admittedly a short drive, if I tried to keep track. I followed one hen around this evening because I knew by her behavior she was getting ready to lay for the first time and by the way she was searching the whole property I knew she didn't want to use a nesting box. I put an egg from this afternoon in a nest box. Within a half hour she found the planted egg and decided that was the perfect play to lay. Other than helping a first-time egg layer decide that the nest boxes are perfect for laying I don't interfere. They're doing just fine by themselves.
Thanks Gritstar, I now can put my energy where it needs to go...on what treats to give them tomorrow.