Where to lay....

[birdgirl408]

One of my two Buff Orpingtons has started laying, this is her second week and she usually has two days off in the week. She was running backwards and forwards frantically this morning for over three hours trying to lay. She has two choices, plus the freedom of the garden. Does it usually take that long? I wondered if she was stressed, or just couldn't decide where to lay. Any advice would be appreciated, as both Bea (the chicken) and I are very new to all this.

Al the other times she has laid have been fine, and reasonably quick apart from frantically running to and fro.

 

[aart]

It's usually best, convenient for us and comfy / secure for them, to have a nice nest for them in the coop to lay in.
You can put a fake egg or golf ball there to show them 'here's good place'.

That said:

New layers can be quite goofy acting, they don't know what they are doing at first and can be confused and anxious, it can take up to a month or so before they get it all figured out. Putting some fake eggs or golf balls in the nest might help show them where to lay. They may scratch around in the nests for weeks before laying. Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs

 

[birdgirl408]

Thank you

that's a relief to know that it's usual hen behaviour.