New Hen in the House

[TJKeller]

Hello! About 3 months ago my hen who is about 9 months old stopped laying her usual 1 egg a day. Wanting to increase my flock, (I had one hen & 1 rooster) I acquired another year old hen who was already laying. Within the month I’ve had the new hen my existing hen started laying again and I got 2-3 eggs a day (combined) for a time. The past week my original hen started getting broody. Thnking I might get some chicks I was considering lettering her sit but am reading that may not be healthy. This morning I encouraged her off her nest thinking I might find days worth of eggs and there were only 2. Her breast is bare from her pulling out her feathers and there were only 2 eggs. Both hers. Both hens are only laying in one of the 4 available nesting boxes abs sometimes prefer a nest the original hen made on the ground. Additionally my new hen stopped laying since the original hen started sitting. What am I doing wrong?

 

[igorsMistress]

You're not doing anything wrong. Hormones are a funny thing and it's Spring!

For clarification, you have 1 roo and 2 hens? It could be that your roo is mating a lot and stressing them out. A roo could handle 3 to 8 girls and most people have that ratio to prevent over mating.

There's nothing unhealthy with letting one of your hens go broody. Just make sure she gets off the nest to eat and drink every day. Of course she won't lay during that time, but she sounds like she's ready.

 

[TJKeller]

Thank you @igorsMistress ! Such a crazy spring for all!

Yes, 1 roo, 2 hens. I haven't noticed him trying to mate at all, though I don't have eyes on them 24/7. I think it would be nice to have her hatch a few chicks but want what's best for their health, and I'm enjoying my eggs. Just hoping the new hen starts laying again.

Would putting an egg in a second nesting box encourage the other hen to use that to lay her eggs since Ms. Broody is taking up the other one?

Since getting her out of the nesting box she is eating, so I'm happy to see that.

 

[igorsMistress]

Yes, eggs mean a safe place and that could definitely help encourage the other hen to lay.

You might not see the roo mate, but your hens will show it. Their backs will start to look ratty and shabby like they're going to molt.

Hens that go broody usually do just fine and nothing is more adorable than a mama with her babies. Just sayin

 

[TJKeller]

Yes, eggs mean a safe place and that could definitely help encourage the other hen to lay.

You might not see the roo mate, but your hens will show it. Their backs will start to look ratty and shabby like they're going to molt.

Hens that go broody usually do just fine and nothing is more adorable than a mama with her babies. Just sayin

Thank you so much! I put an egg in another nesting box and my new hen went right in and laid an egg! YAY!

Really appreciate the advice! Will have to see if I get a chick someday.

 

[igorsMistress]

Thank you so much! I put an egg in another nesting box and my new hen went right in and laid an egg! YAY!

Really appreciate the advice! Will have to see if I get a chick someday.

Very happy that helped! Are you going to let your broody hatch?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you want to hatch, absolutely nothing wrong with letting the hen sit. It's only if you don't want to hatch/buy chicks, that the hen ends up sitting for nothing at all, and in that case it's best to break them of their broodiness so they don't risk losing any body condition for no result.

 

[TJKeller]

Very happy that helped! Are you going to let your broody hatch?

If she lays more eggs and wants to continue I might. I checked her eggs yesterday, there are only 2 - which I though strange anyway, shouldn't she have more?? And will she keep laying after she begins to sit? - anyway, I checked the 2 eggs she has been sitting on and it didn't look like anything was growing in there so I removed them from her and used them as the dummy eggs in the other nesting boxes. Will she lay more and still try to broody?

Thanks again for all your input. I've never had a roo before and never had a hen get broody so I'm a newbie at all of this.

 

[aart]

And will she keep laying after she begins to sit? - anyway, I checked the 2 eggs she has been sitting on and it didn't look like anything was growing in there so I removed them from her and used them as the dummy eggs in the other nesting boxes. Will she lay more and still try to broody?

You can't tell if fresh eggs are fertile by candling them, have to open them up and look at the yolks.

Best to use fake eggs as bait.

She may lay until she's truly broody.
These are my go to signs of a broody bird:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[igorsMistress]

If she lays more eggs and wants to continue I might. I checked her eggs yesterday, there are only 2 - which I though strange anyway, shouldn't she have more?? And will she keep laying after she begins to sit? - anyway, I checked the 2 eggs she has been sitting on and it didn't look like anything was growing in there so I removed them from her and used them as the dummy eggs in the other nesting boxes. Will she lay more and still try to broody?

Thanks again for all your input. I've never had a roo before and never had a hen get broody so I'm a newbie at all of this.

My pleasure! She might lay more or she might not, depends on hormones. You could always collect eggs from the other hen for a few days and put those under her. She won't likely care. I would make sure they're fertile first.