New problem. Pullet wants to keep her egg

[Sherrirod]

I just went out to see if I have more eggs and I found my GLW under the table in a little nest she made for herself not wanting to give up her egg. She is still laying pullet eggs. If fact I thought this was her 3rd egg ever. Two days ago, I was cleaning the coop and this Wyandotte, Daisy Mae (will be 23 weeks old on Monday the 29th), just kept looking around and around in and out of all of the nesting boxes, squatting in each corner, and in general desperately trying to find a place to lay. This went on for at least a couple of hours. I was using a tote to put the dirty litter in to take out and after every shovel full she would jump in the tote and try to make a nest. I thought it was her first egg and she just wasn't sure what her instinct was telling her so I kept trying to put her in the nesting boxes and she spun around scratched and came back out and into my dirty bedding tote. We did this dance for quite awhile until I had the clean bedding in. Of course she was in heaven then, and eventually laid an egg in the back corner on the floor bedding. Yesterday she did it again and laid in a big pile of bedding. Then we get to today.

Earlier when I was collecting eggs she was again looking all over the place, in and out of boxes, around each of the corners and in every nook and cranny. I left her to it and went back a couple of hours later with treats for the chickens. She wouldn't come out even for watermelon, so I went in and she has a little nest in the back corner and was turning/examining an egg. When I took a step toward her she threw her body over it. So many questions!!

Is it even possible for her to go broody over her first few eggs? I thought broody was rare in pullets and Wyandottes.

Can these eggs even hatch? (I typed this up and went back after 45 minutes and startled her when reaching to see if she'd let me grab the egg. When she jumped, I snatched the egg. It only weighs 1.48 oz.)

Could she just be curious, trying to figure out what this thing is that she just made?

If I don't allow her to some leeway now to hold on to her eggs, will she just start hiding them from me?

Should I let her do what she wants to for a few days and see if it "sticks"?

For future reference is this want happens before a hen goes broody? Do they start...I guess you'd call it nesting?

I do want my hens to go broody, I got several breeds that are known for it, but I thought I wouldn't have to learn about it until spring since they're so young. I'm not sure what to do. What is the best thing for her? I don't want to break her heart taking them away. I don't really care about losing a few eggs if she tries for a few days and gives up. I'd also hate to see her go through it for weeks only to have them not hatch anyway. Would that ruin her from going broody next year?

Am I just over-empathizing?

 

[FrostRanger]

It's very rare for such a young pullet to go broody. If you want more chicks rn then you could let her go broody. However, I would actually be more inclined to break her since she's still growing and being broody is hard on a bird's body. I'd let her try again in a few months when she's a bit more mature.
She'll throw a fit once you put her in broody jail, but she'll be fine

 

[Sherrirod]

It's very rare for such a young pullet to go broody. If you want more chicks rn then you could let her go broody. However, I would actually be more inclined to break her since she's still growing and being broody is hard on a bird's body. I'd let her try again in a few months when she's a bit more mature.
She'll throw a fit once you put her in broody jail, but she'll be fine

So just keep taking the eggs away from her and hope she just lets it go?

 

[Sherrirod]

Sorry, for some reason I didn't see your last line about broody jail. That won't damage her little chicken psyche being so young? She's already at the bottom of the pecking order and I just introduced a BUNCH of new chicks. I hadn't thought about brooding being hard on their bodies. That makes the decision easier.

 

[aart]

I doubt she's broody, probably just the neurotics that some/most new layers have.
You need to 'train' her to use the nesting boxes.
Put a fake egg in each nest and block the area on the floor that she was using to lay.

 

[Sherrirod]

I doubt she's broody, probably just the neurotics that some/most new layers have.
You need to 'train' her to use the nesting boxes.
Put a fake egg in each nest and block the area on the floor that she was using to lay.

lol. I just took the fake eggs out. Evidently too soon. I will put them back in. Thanks for the advice!

Where are you in Michigan by the way? I grew up in Brooklyn (Irish Hills area)

 

[FrostRanger]

Sorry, for some reason I didn't see your last line about broody jail. That won't damage her little chicken psyche being so young? She's already at the bottom of the pecking order and I just introduced a BUNCH of new chicks. I hadn't thought about brooding being hard on their bodies. That makes the decision easier.

No, it won't damage her. Broody jail is simply a dog crate with food, water and a roosting bar. You just keep a broody in there for a few days and they should no longer be broody. Make sure there is absolutely nothing for her to nest in though. That mean the crate should be bare bottomed

However, give her a few days before you try this to make sure she's truly broody. If she's still not coming out except briefly for a day or 2 then she is indeed broody

 

[Sherrirod]

No, it won't damage her. Broody jail is simply a dog crate with food, water and a roosting bar. You just keep a broody in there for a few days and they should no longer be broody. Make sure there is absolutely nothing for her to nest in though. That mean the crate should be bare bottomed

However, give her a few days before you try this to make sure she's truly broody. If she's still not coming out except briefly for a day or 2 then she is indeed broody

Thank you. I'll give it some time. I just wanted to be prepared just in case I needed to decide for her.

 

[aart]

However, give her a few days before you try this to make sure she's truly broody.

Indeed!

Here's my go to signs of a broody:
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.

​

 

[FrostRanger]

Thank you. I'll give it some time. I just wanted to be prepared just in case I needed to decide for her.

It's always good to have a plan in place