Quitter Broody and laying question

[WthrLady]

My lavender orpington decided last week that she was going to be broody. I don't know what part of that sounds like fun, but she did. She was broody day 1,and laid an egg. But wouldn't STAY in the box.

Day2 broody, laid and egg, and wouldn't stay in the box.

Day 3 out playing doing normal chicken stuff and didn't lay, but sat for about an hour on someone else's egg.

Day 4 totally normal chicken, but no egg.

Day 5 no egg.

Day 6, no egg.

Day 7, no egg.

Day 8, today, still no egg.

So when will she snap back to it?!

 

[pdirt]

My guess is she has the broody trait, but it's not real strong. Broodiness (or some of it) has been bred out of a lot of breeds.

We have had broodies in various states of broodiness that would go on for months. The silkies in particular. One of our silkies acts like a normal broody...she is either broody or she isn't. A couple other silkies will act something more like what you are describing, which doesn't make them reliable as broody hens for hatching eggs. I think they should go in the soup pot, IMO, since they don't lay eggs! They have laid eggs, but gosh, it's been months since they did so.

 

[WthrLady]

I don't care if she stopped being broody. I want to know when she'll start laying again, the little moocher.

 

[pdirt]

I don't usually comment, but I love your "location". Middle of everywhere. Why would you want to leave?

 

[WthrLady]

Exactly. I love it here. Smack in the middle of the country

Now if this big purple chicken would just lay her egg!

 

[aart]

If she was laying and wasn't staying in the nest, why did you think she was broody?

Your location has always amused me also....but it doesn't give needed clues sometimes...like how hot is it there in the middle?
Heat waves can slow laying.

They do sometimes sit in a nest for an hour or so and not lay....why I don't know, I didn't ask them..and they probably wouldn't tell me anyway.

 

[junebuggena]

Sitting in the nest for an hour or more doesn't mean she's broody. Sitting on the nest for several days, does. Is this a young pullet? A young pullet is not very likely to go broody. They are erratic layers, though. I have a few 20 weeks old girls that like to sit on the nest but have only laid a shell-less egg twice in as many weeks. I only have one pullet that has laid 5 eggs a week since her first.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Sitting in the nest for an hour or more doesn't mean she's broody. Sitting on the nest for several days, does. Is this a young pullet? A young pullet is not very likely to go broody. They are erratic layers, though. I have a few 20 weeks old girls that like to sit on the nest but have only laid a shell-less egg twice in as many weeks. I only have one pullet that has laid 5 eggs a week since her first.

X 2 - this sounds like a situation where a better understanding of what being broody truly is might be beneficial for you in understanding your birds. Hens will often be in the nest for an good while before *and* after they lay that day's egg -- or sit in the nest for an hour, hop out and go about their business for some time then return to lay an egg and hop right out -- or hop in, lay, hop out - or sit in the nest FOREVER, never lay an egg and leave..........none of those situations would indicate broodiness, it would just indicate a *normal* chicken behavior.
A broody hen will settle into the nest and not leave, except for a few minutes each day to eat, drink and poop - she also shows a change in attitude as she becomes defensive of her nest. I use a "3 day AND night" test for my hens to see that they really mean it - at that point they either a) go in the buster or b) get eggs to hatch. A broody hen does not lay, when her hormones change to broody mode that has an impact on the production system and shuts it down.

 

[WthrLady]

OK, this is not my first broody hen. But is the first that I didn't let sit and hatch out. OR That I broke and didn't start laying again. I"m in Nebraska, so not too hot, not too cold, wet as all get out.

She would lay an egg, and sit in the box all day. But I didn't want another broody, or to give her eggs. I am maxed out in the coop. So I would pluck her flattened, puffy, growling,(happy to pull back all 10 fingers mean) but out of the box several times a day and shove her out the door with a rake. One she was out, she would stay out for hours, but sneak back in. After a couple of days, she wasn't laying and was sitting on other chicken's eggs. By day three, she wasn't mean any more, and wasn't sitting OR laying... still isn't.

I guess I'll just wait. She'll either lay or not.

Thanks for your help.