My first layer lays on floor and stays

[DiscoverwithDave]

Hello experts,
My first 7 months with chickens and I found out my Red Cross chicken started to lay eggs. Well actually I found two eggs in the pine chips of the coop floor a couple week ago so I moved them to the nesting box. The chicken kept moving the eggs back to floor corner. I finally found out it was "Red" my Red Cross. Anyway, we were back and forth with me putting the couple eggs in nesting box and I would take the new egg of the day and the next day there would be three on floor. I saw her take beak and move to floor. I put a board in the corner at an angle so she could not use that spot and would hopefully move to nesting box. She moved eggs out of nesting box and just moved over further on coop floor. Also, she used to come out and eat and only go in at 8am ish to lay an egg and at night to sleep, but now she stays in the coop sitting on eggs all day and make sound if you approach her and puffs up like the hulk. Not sure what to do. If she comes out, should I take all eggs so she don't sit there all day? Should I put a longer angled wood and block the whole front or just give up? It just snowed yesterday so maybe she stays with eggs because so cold. I heard she might stop laying because winter is here. Maybe I will get a new start over for spring? I don't want the others to do the same thing.....

Outside pic of coop and nesting box

Inside coop pic with nesting box and angled wood

 

[sourland]

Dave, it sounds as if you have a broody hen on your hands.

 

[DiscoverwithDave]

What does that mean? I just went out and she is still there and makes a strange sound .. hard to describe, but almost like a cat growl..lol. Not sure if she eat or drink.

 

[chickenlady25XD]

What does that mean? I just went out and she is still there and makes a strange sound .. hard to describe, but almost like a cat growl..lol. Not sure if she eat or drink.

That is what broody means. They are protective of their eggs and growl.

 

[meetthebubus]

She is determined to hatch the eggs. She is protecting her nest. There's lots of reading about it around the forums.

You will either decide to let her hatch (if they are fertile) and this will break her broodiness once theyvare hatched

Or try to break her now which the different ways you can try are many.

 

[sourland]

She wants to become a mother and is attempting to incubate the eggs.

 

[DiscoverwithDave]

OK, Thank you!
You guys and gals are like doctors in your field.
I don't think they are fertile cause I have no rooster. I only have 3 hens and 2 Guinea hens. But I am starting to think the 2 Guineas are male based on their features. Can the Guinea make her eggs fertile?

 

[rosemarythyme]

OK, Thank you!
You guys and gals are like doctors in your field.
I don't think they are fertile cause I have no rooster. I only have 3 hens and 2 Guinea hens. But I am starting to think the 2 Guineas are male based on their features. Can the Guinea make her eggs fertile?

Very unlikely.

Hens go broody because of hormones, not because they've been bred or know the eggs are fertile. Some will stay broody as long as there's a nest, even with no eggs!

Since it sounds like you're not planning to have chicks, I'd break her. Collect all eggs regardless if she's sitting on them or not, and then place her in a wire crate or some other enclosure AWAY from her nest spot, with food and water. She stays in that crate until she no longer exhibits the behaviors you've been seeing (puffing up, growling, wanting to sit on nest all day). It takes about 3 days on average but can run longer if she's been broody a while.

 

[DiscoverwithDave]

Wow, I never new this could happen. Sure is a lot to having chickens. Forgive my lack of Chicken knowledge. I thank you for the step by step details. I am not sure if that will be possible for me. I just have the one coop and the snowy weather has begun. If I did get a cage not sure where I could put it. So she will just sit there and not eat and drink until she gets chicks?
Another question is if I was able to get a fertilized egg would it hatch and survival in winter. I don't even know where to get a fertilize egg. Do chickens even have chicks in winter? I only hear about chicks being born around Easter time in spring.
Thanks

 

[50-45-1]

I love your coop and the pictures! Thank you for sharing!
.If you did find some fertle eggs in your neighborhood your hen would probably hatch them for you, but. Keep in mind that you have a 50/50chance for roosters. Also i see you are in NY, and its probably to late in the year for chicks.
There are breeds of chickens that have had the broodieness bred mostly out of them, Leghorns for one.
When a hen goes broody she will stop laying eggs and set on a clutch of eggs.
she will leave the nest around once a day to eat and deficate and right back to the nest.
Your broody will give up eventually but you must remove all the eggs as soon as you can and dont leave her any. Gather any fresh eggs as quickly as you can. If you can make her spend time outside in the fresh air somehow it will help to break her broodiness.
Good luck!