ive tried

[jenmiller]

Okay so about 2 weeks ago one of my hens like farted an egg or something and i have not seen one since. I tried the whole nesting boxes thing and they just seem to kick out all the filling i put in there and still no egg. Im giving them the correct food fresh water everything and still no more eggs. They are free range for most of the day except dont come out till around noonish when i go down to open the door. Is it possible they are nesting somewhere else and wont tell me?? What in the world does Broody mean??

 

[Fred's Hens]

Young pullets, at point of lay, need time to "learn" where to lay. I keep them in the coop/run until they have mastered the skill. I will not do easter egg hunts. Usually, after 2 or 3 weeks, they can be trusted to free range again. Still, I don't let them out until most have laid, and that usually means 10 am or so.

Broody means a hen's hormones tell her to lay a small clutch of eggs and stay on them. She will not leave the nesting box, except for a quick trip to eat/drink/poop and back on the eggs she goes. She'll growl if anyone approaches. She wants to hatch chicks and her instincts tell her to do so.

This is a waste of time, of course, if there is no rooster in the flock. Some broody hens also quit after a few day or a week and nothing becomes of it.

 

[gritsar]

If they are new layers they can be very erratic about laying. If they are free ranging they can be laying elsewhere, so that's two possiblities you have to consider.

Broody means that the hen has decided she wants to hatch eggs. She stops laying and prepares a nest. Broodies can be the most disagreeable chickens in the world. If you attempt to disturb their nest they will puff up and growl at you; some even bite.

 

[chicmom]

Hi! Do you know how old they are? Pullets (young hens) usually start laying at around 20 to 25 weeks of age. They could definitely be laying their eggs somewhere else, if they're old enough.

Are their combs bright red yet? Do they "squat" really flat when you reach out to them? Those are signs of maturity, which means the eggs should be coming soon. If you're not seeing those things, they may need more time.

Not sure what parts of the country you're from, but here in Ohio, our daylight hours are getting shorter and shorter, and chickens need sunlight to produce eggs, so maybe that's also a factor......

Sharon

 

[jenmiller]

uhm they are lik 30 wks old but none of them have the dark red combs. Could that be my fault?? I just changed thier feed to laying feed and they seem to be getting fatter and their combs are getting bigger. I have 2 Catalanas, a Dominique Rooster, maybe 5 or 6 white rocks, 5-6 orphingtons and then orphingtins with black in their tail feather, then a bunch of mix breeds.