Why is my pullet so frantic about getting into our front yard?

[michiele]

Our 25 week old Welsummer looks ready to lay any day. Her comb has grown in nice and red and she is acting so strangely. Today, she was frantic to get into our front yard. She escaped once and we put her back in the back yard and then found her pacing the fence trying to get to the front. (We live on an acre so they have about half an acre to free range in the backyard.) Is she trying to find a place to lay? Is it possible that she has layed an egg in the front and wants to get back to it?

I am thinking about making her stay in the coop and run all day tomorrow to see if she lays and to see if she will calm down about the front yard. We normally keep them in the coop and run till about 1pm each day, but since we just added some younger pullets, we have been letting them out earlier, until all the chickens have adjusted.

Any ideas on why she is behaving this way? Thanks!

 

[LT]

I think it is definitely a sign of the nervousness and anxiety they exhibit prior to laying. Yesterday, our girls were out to free range, and I noticed one of them acting very strange. She was obviously trying to be secretive even though I was right there. I picked her up, put her in the run, and within 3 minutes she was in the hen house scoping out the nest boxes. She finally got in one and laid within 30 minutes. I would make sure you leave her and the others in their enclosure until all the chickens have started laying in the boxes, so you establish good habits. We haven't had any of our girls lay anywhere other than the nest boxes, but we don't usually let them out to free range until about 11am. Now, the girls who haven't laid by that time return to the hen house and choose their favorite box.