Why is she doing this?!?

[Abarta]

Excuse me of this is a stupid question, I am very new at raising chickens.

Ok here goes: we bout 3 laying hens today to replace the ones our neighbors dog got to. I had put fake eggs in the meeting boxes so that our original hens knew where to lay ( I was under the assumption based on what we were told that they should be starting to lay within the next couple weeks as they are 13 weeks old. I am so confused on when they could start haha). Anyways, one of the hens we got today went in the coop and sat on one of the fake eggs. All was fine and dandy. The next thing I know, is she is screaming hysterically but won't move. I, at this time, was refilling water and food while watching to make sure the new chickens and the old chickens were getting along.

Any ideas as to why she freaked out when she was sitting on the fake eggs?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Abarta]

Sorry for the typos, auto correct seriously hates me

 

[ChickNanny13]

What breed? 13wks is "young" to be laying, are you sure they're not older? Did you check under her, it could be her "egg song"?

 

[Abarta]

What breed? 13wks is "young" to be laying, are you sure they're not older? Did you check under her, it could be her "egg song"?

The chicken in question is 1 of 3 that we got today. The previous owner said they were a little over a year. The 13 week old hens are the ones we have had since day one.

I did check under her, and she was sitting on one of the ceramic eggs.

 

[junebuggena]

Pullets that are starting to mature like to spend a lot of time hanging out in nest boxes. They also start to get a lot more vocal at that age.

 

[Mylied]

Maybe she was just practising. Was it an egg song? 13 weeks seems a bit young to be laying. Could be a couple weeks, could be a couple months. I have 4 1/2 month old pullets that aren't laying yet.

I do want to call nest boxes, meeting boxes from now on. Lol. They do seem to have egg laying meetings in them.

 

[Abarta]

Maybe she was just practising. Was it an egg song? 13 weeks seems a bit young to be laying. Could be a couple weeks, could be a couple months. I have 4 1/2 month old pullets that aren't laying yet.

I do want to call nest boxes, meeting boxes from now on. Lol. They do seem to have egg laying meetings in them.

This was happening from one of the hens we bought today that is a little over a year old. We have 3 hens that are a year and 4 that are 13 weeks

 

[rIrs roost]

Being a little over a year old, she could be going broody. Has she been sitting there all day and squacks at you if you go near?

 

[Mylied]

This was happening from one of the hens we bought today that is a little over a year old. We have 3 hens that are a year and 4 that are 13 weeks

Oh ok. Well then I'd say she's just used to laying eggs and doing her normal routine. But probably the stress of the move is delaying her actually producing eggs.

 

[Abarta]

Being a little over a year old, she could be going broody. Has she been sitting there all day and squacks at you if you go near?

She hasn't been there all day, just for about 20 minutes. They are all out of the coop now happily eating the bugs all over the yard