Hen not laying as expected!

rob w

Hi all,

Relatively new to keeping hens. We have 4 hens now for the last 2 months, all goign well up until the last week or two.

One of our hens is acting strange around laying her eggs, she sits on the nest box all day sometimes, not sure if she is even eating or drinking much at all. Sometimes she is sitting on the others eggs, so I thought she was gone broody. But othertimes she is just sitting in the nest box all day, and either not laying an egg that day or laying very late - as if it takes her ages to actually lay the egg!

Not sure what is going on with her, she seems and appears healthy but getting a bit worried about her and dont know what to do! I dont think she is eggbound as she has been laying eggs, got one each of the last three days.

Any help or advice appreciated!!

Edit: I just went down and lifted her form the nest box, she was giving out a bit. No egg under her. Her 'vent' seems normal, so sign of a stuck egg. She is walking normally and started eating and drinking a little. She hasn't pooped in the nest box at all, no matter how long she sits in it. I have noticed that the other hens are bullying her a bit, pecking at her way more often than they used to. She has always been bottom of the pecking order, but once they sorted that out after the first week or two they mostly let her be, but the pecking has started again. I just thought all that info might be of some relevance!

Stigura

Sounds to me, Rob, like she is broody 🤔

Now, I'm just going on my own, Limited personal experiences. What? Had chickens, I think, into my Third season, now. Like yeself; Just the few. * Just Because *, really!

But, yeah; Sure sounds like what I've seen. They develop their own little schedules too. This bird likes to sneak out at 11:00. I'll catch her out, in the pen, then. Only five minutes and she'll be back in that box.

I wonder if it might be worth thinking about making her a separate 'Broody Coop'? Of course, this would depend on some points which would be personal to ye own situation. I've had chicks hatched perfectly well, amidst the flock (Usually of four too). What breed(s) ye got there? 🙂

rob w

Hi, thanks for the reply. Yeah, I think she might be getting broody sometimes too. But I've dusted her today just incase she is coming down with some parasite infection or something!

We have a Mottled Ranger (the hen in question), a White Sussex, a Rhode Island Red and a Blackrock.

So what do you mean by a 'broody coop'? Somewhere she can hatch some eggs? Does she need a whole separate space for that? Not sure how much work is involved in that at all, and is it a seasonal thing or can you do that anytime once I get some fertilised eggs?

Stigura

Oh Kayyy ….. Just got home and found ye reply. Good enough. My own, gut reaction is to simply suggest ye roll with it and learn more things about chickens.

Seems like ye, probably, just want a few birds to pop out the eggs? But, then I read ye edit. Sounds like she is getting singled out, doesn't it? Okay, at That point, I'm getting out of my own depth, I'm afraid 😐️

One Fact I've lived to see is the grisly fate of any bird, left to be pecked till a blood spot appears. Then it's gnarly.

But, there, I run out of steam. I Don't Know.

Just to bring ye into the picture here? I don't, personally, crave the eggs. My two hens are a Light Sussex and a thing called a Goldtop. Both brutally broody breeds. They each seem to go broody, about twice a year each. Great fun, for me. Be bloody murder, if ye wanted eggs, eggs, eggs.

Broody Coop? That was an idea. I'm aiming to make one myself. But, you don't Want broody? Okay, in that case, it looks like ye'll need a 'Broody (Breaking) Cage', instead. That amounts to just about what ever ye have handy. It basically amounts to a solidly mesh built cage.

Access to food, water and shade. That's it. And, they hang them up too, I read. Air circulation is paramount. Bird needs to be losing that heat. No way to retain it. Dunno how long that takes. Never done it.

Expect a swift PM here 😉

Deub

She is broody. If you want chicks, indeed, you need fertilised eggs and her own space, otherwise the other hens will disturb her.

If you want her to stop being broody, you need to confine her to small space with no nest for a couple of days.

rob w

Thanks for the advice on this!

So to give an update, in the end she just snapped out of her broody phase by herself eventually. One day she just stopped sitting in the nest box all day and got herself back on the roost that evening. Has been fine ever since. Has laid 2 eggs since then I think, so her production is down alright. But at least I know for next time whats going on with her, just didnt know if she was sick or broody or what!