Sitting in the nesting box, but not laying

[cmom]

The game camera is a great idea. I used to raise BOs and from my experience they were not the best layers.

 

[bbertone]

My lead red star we got at 7mo old and she has laid every day since for about three months. She always is in the yard ranging. Today she hasn't left the nest box at all and hasn't laid. Is something wrong?

 

[cmom]

My lead red star we got at 7mo old and she has laid every day since for about three months. She always is in the yard ranging. Today she hasn't left the nest box at all and hasn't laid. Is something wrong?

I see you are a fairly new BYC member

It is hard to say why she is sitting in a nest box. Is she sick? Have you checked her over to see if anything appears to be unusual besides her sitting in a nest box? I have had birds that were like that and check them over to see if there is any thing apparent. I take them out of the nest box. If they seem a bit off I usually make sure she is eating OK and at times will make up a mash with a few drops of Poly-Vi-Sol (without Iron). If there doesn't seem to be anything and she continues to sit, she may just be wanting to go broody. It really isn't the right time of the year but I have had some try. I just keep taking them out of the nest box and after a few days they usually get the idea. Good luck...

 

[bbertone]

She sat there for a few more hours then she started shrieking so loud. She kept it up for 5 min very loudly. I looked out the window and she was out of the box still shrieking in between bites of grass. Then she just stopped. She ended up laying a tiny egg. Today no egg at all but she's acting normal.

 

[cmom]

She sat there for a few more hours then she started shrieking so loud. She kept it up for 5 min very loudly. I looked out the window and she was out of the box still shrieking in between bites of grass. Then she just stopped. She ended up laying a tiny egg. Today no egg at all but she's acting normal.

Often times they like to announce when they have layed an egg. Sometimes other will too when one of the other girls has layed and I call them the cheerleaders.

 

[Crazyangel]

Hi I am also new to this. I have 4 hens 21 weeks different breeds.
2 have been laying for a week but today both have been in the nest box and sung their lovely I have laid an egg song.
I went to check and no eggs from either hen.
They are free ranging so will go back to lay.
I take it from your answers above that it's nothing to worry about.

 

[cmom]

Nothing to worry about. They're working out the kinks. When a bird needs to lay, they will lay. Often times they may skip a day or two most weeks. Some breeds are better layers than others, some lay like every other day or so.

 

[cmom]

If your birds don't want to lay in their nest boxes try putting a golf ball or fake egg in them. That usually helps. At least for me it has.

 

[ladystark]

If she is a new egg layer I wouldn't worry too much. Her body is just getting in sync with laying and it's not uncommon for new layers to lay an egg then stop for awhile before laying another. I have birds even older ones that will get in a nest box and be in it for awhile and not lay an egg. Since your pullet is free ranging a good part of the day and not in the nest box then I don't suspect that she has gone broody. Her body is just adjusting to laying. As she gets older she should start laying more regular. Some birds start to lay sooner than others. I have some Heritage breeds that didn't start laying until they were 8 to 9 months (32 to 36 weeks) old. Most birds start laying 20 to around 24/26 weeks, some a little sooner and some a little later.

I have a hen that's not laying right now but just sitting in the box. She dies have a bumble foot at the moment and is about 5 years, would you say she's also fine? I'm not inexperienced with chickens really, but they do keep surprising me!