New to chickens and laying behaviours

[Shelleymarieg]

Hi everyone,

I’m new to having chickens and have found this forum so useful!

I have two pekin bantams and two silkies. Currently one of the bantams is broody and occupying the eglu go nest most of the day (until we turf her out to eat and drink!).

The other bantam seems happy to squeeze in and lay an egg next to her but one of the silkies gets very stressed, starts pacing the run and jumping up at the caging. I’ve let her out a couple of times and she’s laid in a bush.

This isn’t ideal as I need to be outside with the chickens when free ranging because we’re next to the woods which is home to lots of buzzards..

Luckily our second Eglu go up has now been set up, providing an extra nest but even when I placed the silkie in there to lay she was having none of it. Perhaps it’s early days and they need to become familiar with the additional coop but I worry that the silkie will become stressed and potentially egg bound if I can’t let her out to lay..

Today after she laid, her egg was fully out but hanging from her fluff… should I be worried?
Any advice would be welcome! Do I just leave her to figure it out if I’m not there?

Thanks so much,

Shelley

 

[sourland]

She has trained you. As long as you keep letting her have her way, she will continue with this behavior. Do you have nesting material in the new Eglu?

 

[Shelleymarieg]

She has trained you. As long as you keep letting her have her way, she will continue with this behavior. Do you have nesting material in the new Eglu?

Thanks for the reply sourland and that's exactly what my partner said - he says they have me wrapped around their little finger perhaps he's right! Yes there is nesting material in the new eglu - hopefully they will work out how to get up there soon and will start laying in there too. I find it hard to watch her become so stressed and flap and jump about but I guess she would work it out on her own if I wasn't there to let her out? I just worry that she'll make herself eggbound which sounds horrendous for her and us being newbies

 

[aart]

Currently one of the bantams is broody and occupying the eglu go nest most of the day (until we turf her out to eat and drink!).

If you don't intend to let her hatch, it's best to try and break her more proactively.

 

[Shelleymarieg]

If you don't intend to let her hatch, it's best to try and break her more proactively.

Thanks for the reply - we don’t really have the option of a “chicken jail” and I’ve tried dunking her underside in water. Happy to read any further tips though!

 

[aart]

Thanks for the reply - we don’t really have the option of a “chicken jail” and I’ve tried dunking her underside in water. Happy to read any further tips though!

Having a wire crate or two is an excellent tool for all chickeneers.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire(1x2) on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

After 48 hours I let her out of crate very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate for another 48 hours.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor,
gives the feet a break from the wire floor and encourages roosting.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Having a wire crate or two is an excellent tool for all chickeneers.

And certainly cheaper than getting a 2nd coop just for an extra nest box!

 

[Banana01]

As my flock has grown, so too has the need for more places to lay eggs. It's a constant problem. I have never had an egg bound hen, maybe because my flock is free to run around and lay eggs in the house or wherever.

Right now I have a hen laying behind my refeigerator. I also have hens sitting in a cardboard box together. It never ends, but I always just keep trying to add boxes and create places to put boxes even though I don't want more chickens I can remove the eggs, although obviously I didn't for these two.