Observed near-laying behaviour

[renoruphis]

Today, I let my 2 pullets (flock) out to free range. I noticed that they were not glued at the hip as usual. My RIW kept wandering off, into junipers, other bushes as if trying to nest. I put her in the small coop into a nestbox....she stayed for maybe 30 seconds. Hubby was working on our coop (a reformed doghouse) to put in a low wattage heatlamp. She did NOT do any eggsong, was vocalizing totally different, not like begging for food, but more of a high pitched whine....anyway, hubby thought I should lock them in the coop for awhile. I did that. There was no loud squawking or anything. Went back maybe 15 minutes later and let them go out into their run. Because their woodshavings were all over, pushed them back where they belonged. Lo and behold....there was a warm egg!
Perfect, not a soft shell

Observe the birds...I was SO excited!

 

[faykokoWV]

congrats on the egg!

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Congratulations! egg-citing!

 

[renoruphis]

Thank you for the congrats! I'm hoping to be blessed with another one today

 

[hen-thusiast]

Congrats on the first egg!!

 

[renoruphis]

Well darn, nothing today, but, not surprising. Yesterday we installed a low wattage heatlamp, infrared 50 watts, thinking it would heat things so the water would not freeze. Bad idea. Being the new mother hen and all, I checked on the girls at 2:00 am to make sure all was well cuz I woke up and was concerned about too much heat etc. My non laying BR was sprawled out on the floor near the front closed door opening and the RIW was sleeping in the nest box with the curtains down (which had been up previously.)

I turned off the light. At 6:00 am I checked again and they were in their same places but it was so cold, well to me at least, 20 degrees F, so I turned the light back on hoping to keep the water from freezing. When I went back out at 7:00 am and let them down into their run, my non layer was so agressive toward the other ie pecking and chasing her back up into the nest box it was upsetting as these two had been so close.

Long story short several hours later and by this evening, they were back to being the buds they had been. I have to assume that the light in the coop, even though red, was causing the behavior and thusly I won't be doing that again!

Live and learn, I guess.