Pullet not wanting to lay in the nest box.

[Soot the silkie]

When my pullets got close to laying age, I made sure they had a fake egg in the nest box so they would know to lay there. But they didn't want to since older hens who they are afraid of lay there. So one of mine chose a spot on top of a bale of hay. It wasn't a bad spot so we put a nest box there for them. The next day, my most mature pullet was up in the nest box, panting like she was close to laying the egg. But then she hopped down, walked around for a bit, then squatted like she was going to poop and laid the egg on the ground! She did the same thing the next day. Why is this, and how can I can I stop it?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

When my pullets got close to laying age, I made sure they had a fake egg in the nest box so they would know to lay there. But they didn't want to since older hens who they are afraid of lay there. So one of mine chose a spot on top of a bale of hay. It wasn't a bad spot so we put a nest box there for them. The next day, my most mature pullet was up in the nest box, panting like she was close to laying the egg. But then she hopped down, walked around for a bit, then squatted like she was going to poop and laid the egg on the ground! She did the same thing the next day. Why is this, and how can I can I stop it?

It's not really unusual at all - how old is this pullet and how long has she been laying?

 

[Soot the silkie]

It's not really unusual at all - how old is this pullet and how long has she been laying?

she has laid only two eggs and she is around twenty-three weeks.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

she has laid only two eggs and she is around twenty-three weeks.

VERY normal for a bird at this stage - there really isn't much to *do* about it, she has the general idea and it's really just a matter of her mastering the control of the whole process now so that she is comfortable in the box until the egg has actually passed vs. hitting that moment of panic and leaping out of the box right before it passes.

 

[Soot the silkie]

VERY normal for a bird at this stage - there really isn't much to *do* about it, she has the general idea and it's really just a matter of her mastering the control of the whole process now so that she is comfortable in the box until the egg has actually passed vs. hitting that moment of panic and leaping out of the box right before it passes.

Ok thanks! I was afraid she was going to do this her whole life so I kind of freaked out.