Strange behaviour

[Rhi0982]

One of my hens is acting very strangely....

They are all kept in a good sized area at the end of my garden and all but one are happy.

She is constantly pacing the netting to find a way out, she will be literally pacing up and down until she finds a way to escape.
For the past few days I've been picking her up and putting her back in.
Anyway today after yet another escape I decided to lie in the hammock and just watch where she goes and what she gets up to.
We have found out that she hides in the bush where unbeknown to us she has been laying all of her eggs! (I thought the supply had been a bit low).

Do you think she could be broody?
Can I use the eggs still? Or should I let her keep a few?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If she is broody she would sit on the nest all day and only get off maybe once a day to eat. What you have described is what I have seen before in a determined to escape hen. I always thwart the escape so they are forced to lay in the coop. Netting overhead works great LOL.

There is a float test to check for old eggs- you can search byc for it if desired (I did a float test before on some hidden nest eggs and they tasted odd even though they had passed the float test). So I don't really like to eat hidden nest eggs even after testing. I just toss them.

If she is setting on the eggs all day you can try to move her nest to a safe place but be aware they often will quit sitting.

 

[Rhi0982]

Ok thanks.
So I should just force her to stay in her area of the garden to lay?
Any idea why they like to lay away from the others?