will a hen lay if I try and watch her

[Berynn]

Yesterday for the first time my hen laid an egg. If I want to watch her will she lay in front of me or does she need a private moment to do it?

 

[OHChick]

i have wondered the same thing. mine get all self conscious if i watch them, so i never get to see it. maybe it depends on the chicken? i'm curious to hear what everyone else has to say.

 

[hencackle]

It depends on your hen's temperament and if she trusts you. I've had a few where the egg starts to show in the vent and if I look in the coop, I swear they draw the egg right back in and pucker up. I've had a Australorp that insisted on laying her egg in my living room--on the sofa! (its a long story) It didn't matter to her if somebody sat down next to her. She didn't care if my dog was sleeping on the sofa either.

 

[Berynn]

I keep going out side to look, yesterday she laid in the crait that I have for her. Today she keeps going in the nesting box where the golf balls are. I moved one of the golf balls out of the nesting box and into the crate where she laid yesterday. She never went into the nesting boxes before, she's in and out moving all the straw around and moving all over the place. Her vent looks like lips now. Yesterday it looked like huge lips. NOT TO BE A CHICKEN PEDIFILE!!!

 

[hencackle]

That's funny! Hens do have lips, its just not obvious, LOL

 

[devora]

One time our BR was quarreling w/ another bird over the which would get to sit in the nestbox. (Yes, we have more than one but they are insane and want THAT box.) I lifted her and removed her so the leghorn could lay and the BR layed an egg right there, in my arms!

I have since watched most of our girls lay. They ain't shy!

 

[chickbea]

They don't mind if you watch, but they don't like to be handled while they are trying to lay. You may need to find a comfortable seat, however. Some hens take a good long time to produce anything.

 

[horsewishr]

Mine let me videotape her:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvapNsXXeBk

 

[twincreekfarm]

I watched mine lay one about a week or two ago. She took about 20 mins. she sat in the box, got up and walked in circles a few times, laid again. Then she did a squatting standing thing and it pooped right outta her. I think just like people, they need a few mins after "labor" to adjust. Mine stood there a few mins, i took the warm little egg right from under her, she didn't seem to mind a bit. But she stayed in the box another 5 or mins. It's neat if you see it.

 

[karmical]

I watched my australorp lay her first this morning! Don't know how long she'd been at it at the point I came in though. She seemed a little uneasy about what was going on....lots of BAWK BAWK BAWK...even seemed to appreciate me giving her some encouragement with a few gentle pets on her wing and a little conversation

She popped right out of the box when she was done and ate a big breakfast....

I can't imagine there's any harm in watching...if she doesn't appreciate the audience, I'm sure she'll let you know