One year old hen laying in the middle of the coop. Something wrong?

[TinyLittleFarm]

I have a year old Red Star who is a wonderful layer. The last few days she has been laying in the middle of the coop rather than in one of the nesting boxes. Is this just a chicken being a dingbat? Or is a possible sign that something might be wrong? She seems perfectly healthy.

 

[LarryPQ]

Whe you gotta lay an egg, you gotta lay an egg.

 

[danielle82]

When one of my girls starting laying in the middle of the coop instead of the nest box, she went broody shortly after that. Ive heard that red stars don't go broody very often though, don't know if theres any truth to that or not?

 

[aggie9296]

just make sure there is nothing scary in the nest box (snake, nail, etc). i keep a golf ball in the nest and they figured out to go there.

 

[TinyLittleFarm]

Quote:
No, but you know what? One of my EEs died in the nest box a couple of days ago (internal laying we think--she went quick) and the body was in there all day before we got home. It's been since then that the Red Star has been laying in the middle of the coop. The other hens have all been laying in the nest box.

We have 3 boxes and the one where our EE passed is the current favorite, but they seem to rotate favorites. The Red Star has laid regularly in all 3 of them. Think she could be spooked by the death of her friend?

 

[aggie9296]

Hell, i would be! Last girl went in there died? I would not go in there either!!

I think a dead colleague's body could be considered scary.

May put golf ball or fake egg in another box. She'll probaby forget it soon enough.