Mama drama

[Katie8485]

Iu am still really new at this and need a little advice. I have a serama who started laying about 3 months ago. My sweet Diva got to laying about 4 eggs a week just a few weeks ago, well until she found a rock. The rock is about the size her eggs usually are. She lays on it and I think is brooding. To be honest I am not worried about collecting eggs from her, but do I need to worrie about her? This “egg” will never hatch. Will that become a problem where I need to take the rock? Any advice would be great!

 

[azygous]

Is the "rock" in a nest or lying on the ground in the yard?

Does she sit on this rock all day and all night?

How long has she been doing this?

Does she puff up and cluck rapidly when you attempt to left her off the rock?

Has she got downy feathers missing from along her breast bone so skin is showing?

If she is actually broody, she will likely sit on the rock for three weeks and when the rock doesn't hatch, the hormones will dissipate and she will go back to being normal. You can short circuit the hormones now and spare her the humiliation. Just place her in an open mesh bottom cage for a few days with food and water (sans rock) and this will cool the hormones and she will revert to normal.

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes. If you are not going to let her hatch eggs, you need to break her broodiness. A hen who broods looses a lot of condition. If the loss of condition does not kill her, it will certainly make her more prone to other stress induced illness. So, give her eggs to hatch or "break her". You can do a thread search regarding "how to break a broody" to learn how.

 

[SueT]

Are her eggs fertile? Are you wanting her to hatch eggs? I would just remove the rock either way. And I agree w post #2 and #3-- any advice from these people is gold!

 

[Katie8485]

Thank you and I will remove it.

She only gets off it to eat,drink, stretch. It was on the ground but she has moved it into her little nesting area. There are little feathers around it but I do not see skin. She does fluff up and make a noise anytime I am near her. She just started 2 days ago. I do not have a rooster so no eggs are fertal.

Thank you for the advice.