Need some brooding education please.

[masanders]

I have six ISA Browns who were laying six eggs a day for a while. Now we get about four or five per day. Most days there will be one of the girls sitting on the eggs or just sitting in the nesting box while the others are in the run. I'll pet her and she will chirp, then get up and leave. Sometimes I have to persuade her to move. She is eating and drinking just fine and doesn't seem to be in any distress. I've felt her abdomen and don't feel any stuck eggs or anything weird.

What's going on? Please teach me something my fine feathered friends!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some hens like to linger in the nestboxes, others go in sooner than they need to. If something was wrong with your hens she would be lethargic and fluffed up and not eating. So if she is acting fine she is.

 

[carlf]

Normal. Shes just hanging out.

 

[BarbiD]

It could be pre-broody. My cochin did just that for about a week before she became broody. She would go in early to lay, linger in the box. Since she was last in the pecking order, I just thought she was getting the other hens back by camping out in their favorite next LOL. But eventually the amount of time she spent in the coop/nesting box increased over the days and she eventually didn't leave

 

[aart]

Some take longer to lay....some like to lounge around in nests before or after laying.
When they stay in nests all day and all night...and start growling and screeching and biting...then you have a broody.