4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Leicester_H]

Hi

We got Smokie & Lily (a Merryday White Sussex) as POL in August.

They both lay a smallish egg, most days

Lily is sitting in the nest box, for longer and longer to lay her egg.

Its now up to about 4 hours.

Just looked in through egg port, and she just looked up at me - I thought/hoped she might run out when she heard me as I wanted to let them out for a little bit of free ranging.

She's been in there since lunch time.

She seems fine in all other regards.

Is this normal ?

Do I need to check anything ??

Might there be a problem - or does she just like sitting in the nesting box???

 

Thanks as always, H

Edited November 9, 2009 by Guest

[Plum]

er broody

[Leicester_H]

Maybe..

but she normally suddenly leaps out woth a hop, skip and a jump....eventually.

She always runs out in the morning for food.

H

[Plum]

Guess you could check at what point she lays an egg. I guess if she jumps out soon after then she isn't.

[Dappy Chick]

Do they go broody this time of year?

 

I got a Pekin who has got some chicks about 10 weeks old but I have a horrible suspicion that she is showing signs of going broody again! She has been laying for a few weeks now.

[Space Chick]

I have had a girl in a broody cage this week, so yes they do go broody this time of year

[Leicester_H]

She's not too young to go broody ??

[Plum]

Perhaps she is fed up with the weather and decided to stay in bed.

[Dappy Chick]

I have had a girl in a broody cage this week, so yes they do go broody this time of year

 

oh poo here we go again

 

 

There again, I could check out my wish list and see if there are any eggs about????

[Dappy Chick]

Maybe..

but she normally suddenly leaps out woth a hop, skip and a jump....eventually.

She always runs out in the morning for food.

H

 

 

Have you tried lifting her out?

[Daphne]

When she's in there all that time do you lift her up to see if she's laid - sometimes they can sit on eggs for a while after laying.

[Leicester_H]

er broody

Yes - I think you're right.

I lured here out this morning (corn) and retrieved 2 eggs. Closed Eglu door.

She ate and drank a LOT (which is good)

By 10am they were both frantically trying to get into eglu.

So I let them in (supposedly for one hour)

Smokie came out after 30 mins.

Lily is in there still, sitting on one egg (possibly Smokie's).

 

She 'growls' when I lift her (its very funny!).

 

I could lift her out and put her in the run - but what about when she does really need to lay an egg?

Do I put brick in nest box, and allow her to lat in the privacy of the eglu - or will she simply go broody on the bars ?

Or do I lift her every hour and wait until she has (definitely) laid before putting her in the run. (I don't know if current egg is her's or Smokie's (I do suspect its smokies)

I assume not allowing her into the eglu (and hence making her lay in the run) won't do her any harm ?

 

Chickens - why do we have them ??

 

H

[jimnpaula]

Laying in the run won't hurt - my ex bats do it frequently. As for the rest I'm afraid I can't help.

 

P

[Leicester_H]

She WAS broody but we caught it in time (yippee).

2 days of locking them out of the eglu (she went mental to get to her 'chicks'!!) and a LARGE brick in the next box at night fixed it.

She now is normal (well, she's still mad but you know what I mean)

 

How long will it be before she starts laying again - typically ??

 

H

[craftyhunnypie]

Button - my frizzle pekin, took 3 hours to lay her egg this morning! I don't want her going broody, as she has 3 children in the incubator due to hatch anytime!

 

Emma.x

[clucky chicken]

Just read this thread and would like to know the answer to the same question as Hazel - how long typically until they start laying again? Only just got Gerty out of her broodiness, but will she wait for the spring now - or will she start laying again soon. Her comb has shrunk considerably whilst broody, and haven't noticed any difference since she came out of it.

 

Thanks

[Leicester_H]

Lily stopped nest sitting last monday - so its 8 days and counting.

I hope she starts laying before spring.

 

H

[mostin]

I've never had a broody, but I believe it can take as long 3 weeks after they snap out of it to come back in to lay, as long as they would have been sat on the eggs for. I may be wrong though, and you may be lucky as you caught her early .

[Leicester_H]

Lily has started laying lovely little eggs again - woo hoo.

 

So took about 10 days after we took her off the 'nest' and locked her out of the eglu for 2 day (allowed in at night with LARGE brick in nest box).

 

H

[Chicken Shirl]

Confused of Tenerife. Hi Em, will you not let her rear the chicks that are due to hatch as she is going broody? x

[clucky chicken]

Glad your little one has started laying again Hazel - mine too - she started laying little beige eggs again on Saturday - Hooray!!!

 

I really thought that the girls would be slowing down now, but mine just seem to go on and on laying - had four yesterday - not had that in a while while Gertie was broody - but they seem to be all laying their socks off at the moment - and we're giving away eggs at the moment, can't seem to keep up with them!!!

[Margaret]

Thats not fair, none of mine have layed for over a month now,mabel is having a terrible molt, almost looks oven ready

I did wonder if it was anything to do with me going on holiday and Girls went to Scarey Farmers Wife Who put them in with a Cockeral, ( dont seem to have been the same since !!!!

 

+WIR

Lavender

Mabel

Posh Marjorie

Violet

[mostin]

Confused of Tenerife. Hi Em, will you not let her rear the chicks that are due to hatch as she is going broody? x

 

I don't know if she has a cockerel or not in with her girls, if not, the eggs will not even be fertile. Even if they are though, at this time of year in England, by the time they hatch, it is too cold to raise chicks outside.

 

Lots to look forward to in the spring time though

[Chicken Shirl]

Confused of Tenerife. Hi Em, will you not let her rear the chicks that are due to hatch as she is going broody? x

 

I don't know if she has a cockerel or not in with her girls, if not, the eggs will not even be fertile. Even if they are though, at this time of year in England, by the time they hatch, it is too cold to raise chicks outside.

 

Lots to look forward to in the spring time though

 

Thanks Mostin, I think I am going potty sometimes. Em said that she had three eggs in the incubator that were due to hatch any time now, and that they are from the hen she has going broody at the moment. (Hence my comment) I know I should have hit the quote

 

I'm looking forward to this spring as I want to have some chicks from Minky and my fiesty Princessa, a hen with real attitude Thanks again Mostin.x