Possibly getting ready to lay an egg?

[CandiceN]

We got 3 new hens last night (20 week old RIRs). We bought them from a local farmer who had at least 50, and he said he has been getting about a dozen eggs a day for the past week, but of course has no idea which ones are laying. One of the hens is being very odd, has been since we put her in the coop last night. She is being VERY noisy and is acting kinda paranoid, like we're all out to get her. She kinda sounds like a duck, and she's panting (but that could be because it's 98 degrees today). The other 2 are fine, they are just bossing around my other little hen getting the order established. She's been in and out of the nest box, screaming at me every time I go near her. They have plenty of cold water and food. I just brought them some cut up frozen grapes to help cool them off.

I've never seen a chicken lay an egg, or been close to one who has. Does this sound like possible egg laying behavior? Or did I get a sick bird

She wasn't doing anything like this when we observed her before bringing her home.

 

[kmarks613]

Quote:
When some of our girls are going to lay an egg they start clucking loudly and cooing. If I peek in the coop while they're in the nesting box, I get "yelled" at. Whenever I hear the loud clucking, I'm sure to find an egg. Sure sounds like your hen is getting ready to find a place to lay!

And the frozen grapes are a good idea

 

[CandiceN]

I'd be so happy if we got an egg so soon! I figured a couple more weeks at the least. I was just reading some other posts about chickens who are ready to lay doing the 'submission squat' thing when someone touches them. 2 of the 3 did that last night when I picked them up to put them in the coop. I thought maybe they were just being weird, but maybe it means eggs!

I'll be checking on them several times a day anyways since they are new to us, but it would be so cool to see an egg or 2 in there one of the times

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sounds like she's getting ready to give you an egg. They get very vocal right before they begin laying.

 

[chicklover16]

yup, sounds like you'll be getting an egg soon

 

[CowgirlPenny]

I agree. Mine cluck and honk and all kinds of crazy noises. Then when they go inside to lay, my rooster stands outside the coop ramp screaming like a car alarm until they come back out. LOL I know when I hear him, someone is laying.

 

[CandiceN]

Quote:
LOL about the rooster. They are noisy little creatures, for sure.



Thanks for the replies!!

 

[Jackie B.]

Have you tried to pick her up? Does she squat towards the ground? If so, she is ready to lay and just letting you know!

 

[CandiceN]

Jackie B. :

Have you tried to pick her up? Does she squat towards the ground? If so, she is ready to lay and just letting you know!

Actually, 2 of the 3 new hens we got are doing that. I started cracking up the first time I saw it, because I had NO idea what the heck they were doing until I looked it up. I thought she was trying to scare me off or something

 

[aggie9296]

once mine squatted, they started laying in 2-3 days.