When Should I Start to Worry?

Date sort Score sort
Freebirdbeachbum said:
We acquired the four hens at the same time and got our 1st egg about six weeks ago and are now getting three a day. I’ve been assuming one of them hasn’t started laying.
Click to expand...
That may be concerning, but out of my mother's 6 bantam hens she's only getting one egg a day so far, we don't know if only one hen is laying or if there are two hens laying every other day, so that isn't that concerning on its own. Perhaps one is simply infertile? Can particulair hens not lay eggs just because that's their genes or something? Or more likely, one just hasn't started yet or possibly the ladies are taking turns. But your hen could've just been in a comfy place taking a nap lol, or more likely she's going broody or may be soon. If you don't have a roo your eggs won't be fertile, so if she or another hen ends up going broody you would have to either get eggs or chicks or break them of broodiness, or just let them be broody...but IDK if they just break on their own or if they continue to be broody and that's unhealthy for them. I have more questions then I have answers I guess, lol. But either way seeing as she is done with whatever it was at least for now the answers to these questions don't really matter for the moment. Just keep an eye on her.
 
Freebirdbeachbum said:
We acquired the four hens at the same time and got our 1st egg about six weeks ago and are now getting three a day. I’ve been assuming one of them hasn’t started laying.
Click to expand...
Might want to give her a good going over.
Take a look at the vent and feel her belly for any swelling or other abnormality(compare to your other birds).

Here's some tips on how to tell.....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

ETA: could she be suffering from heat stress...panting, wings held out, lethargy.
 
humblehillsfarm said:
It could be she was in the early stages of broodiness. Sometimes simply removing her from the nest is sufficient. Still, keep an eye on her for the next few days. Watch if she goes back to the nest box, but also watch if she's been walking and tucking her butt under her (signs of egg bound).
Click to expand...
She keeps returning to the nesting box. I've taken her out for two days and put her in the run with her sisters and she eats and drinks with no apparent distress but eventually makes her way back into the nesting box. Last nite, her and one of the others appeared to spend the nite in the nesting boxes and she was still in there this morning. No eggs BTW were laid overnite. There are fake eggs in the boxes.
 
Freebirdbeachbum said:
She keeps returning to the nesting box. I've taken her out for two days and put her in the run with her sisters and she eats and drinks with no apparent distress but eventually makes her way back into the nesting box. Last nite, her and one of the others appeared to spend the nite in the nesting boxes and she was still in there this morning. No eggs BTW were laid overnite. There are fake eggs in the boxes.
Click to expand...
She's probably going broody or wants to be...Is she at all aggressive? Is she making deep-throated bauking sounds? My broody production red/comet made BAWK-bawk-bawk-bawk sounds or simililar. Does she not want to be moved from the nest? Has she ruffled her feathers as you approached? Maybe she just likes the spot if the answer to all these questions is no. EDIT: (Do you have a rooster? If not you'll have to buy eggs if you want to have her hatch some chicks, or you don't mind her doing so. If you do have one you can just let her lay on the eggs of her fellow chickens. If you don't want chicks you could try breaking her from broodiness, if she is indeed broody.)
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

W
    • Like
When could I expect egg laying to start?
2
Replies
11
Views
793
Pukkits
P
S
Weird egg with ridge around the middle
Replies
1
Views
143
Ridgerunner
Ridgerunner
N
    • Like
I Won't Miss Searching For Egg Cache's
Replies
1
Views
105
Debbie292d
Debbie292d
thecatumbrella
    • Like
How long do you wait before intervening with a slow layer? (UPDATED)
Replies
3
Views
189
Mother of Chaos
Mother of Chaos
R
    • Love
    • Like
First egg surprise!
Replies
8
Views
540
Rooski456
R

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom