tim123 Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 We picked up our first chickens on Saturday morning - 3 warrens from a local egg farm. We were told that they were all around 20 weeks. They all seemed quite happy on Saturday but now I'm a bit worried about the third. It came out for a little wander yesterday morning but then went back to the eglu and sat on the nest for the rest of the day. This morning, after coming out briefly, it went straight back to the nest. My wife noticed that there was an egg next to her when she checked a bit later (she wasn't sat on it and it could have been from one of the other two). She is not at all aggressive if you try to move her and my wife had no trouble in removing the egg. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Does she seem to be in good health generally? Sometimes hens can be a bit quiet when moving to a new home - I have had a couple of ex batt hens who have spent a week or so hidden away in the coop before getting brave enough to come out and join the others. However if you are at all concerned about this hen, maybe you could contact the breeder for advice, or pop her back to see if she needs treatment or if they would swap her for a healthy hen (assuming she is poorly, that is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim123 Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 It seems ok to me, but then I'm very new to chickens. There is nothing that is obvious. On Saturday it was wandering round the garden scratching away with the other two and you wouldn't have noticed a difference between them all. On Saturday night all three of them jumped on to the 4ft high window ledge to stare through the window at me whilst I was washing up, which prompted me to clip their wings on Sunday morning. I was wondering if it might just be a bit stressed - moving on Saturday and then wing clipping on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I agree she may be stressed and settling in. Could she be broody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim123 Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 I wondered that too but I read somewhere that warrens don't tend to go broody as it's pretty much been bred out of them. Is 20 weeks too young to be broody? Is there an easy way to tell? She's not aggressive if you move her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I don't think she sounds broody more likely is that it's her first egg or first full sized egg plus the stress of the move and new suroundings. or she's one that likes to take her time laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenthelibrarian Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 My warren has gone 'moody' rather than broody a couple of times. She sits, or stands, very still looking a bit dejected and generally sorry for herself. This is then followed by her laying an 'odd' egg - a spectacularly large one or a funny rough-shelled one. It was suggested to me that if a hen is at all stressed by a shock, a move or perhaps another hen hogging the nest box when she wants to lay, she will retain the egg until she feels relaxed and safe enough to lay it, and is left thoroughly uncomfortable and out of sorts, poor girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
