[Paris]

 I'm new to keeping chickens so any help would be appreciated here, I got 4 chooks on the 1st Dec aged 18wks; and Yolko, a Black Rock has recently started taking longer to lay, the first time was a week ago and she stayed in the nesting box for an hour! It's gradually got longer and yesterday she was in there four 4 hrs!! Her eggs are dark brown and smooth and often streaked with purply red marks, i cant tell if this is blood. She doesnt seem to be in any pain, I've looked it up in several books but can't work out if my little baby is broody, egg bound or ill.  Plleeaasse help. Thanks

[8doubles]

Hi Paris and welcome to the forum, a quick test to see is she is broody is to take her egg while she is sitting on it. If she fluffs up, grumbles and pecks you have a broody hen.

[Jeanette]

When you go to her does she fluff up her feathers to make herself seem bigger. If she does then i would say she is broody. If she is broody and she is not sitting on any eggs to hatch make sure that you lift her out a couple of times a day so she can get food and waterbecause she will not leave the nest on her own. You can try to break the broody cycle but i havent tried it so i am not sure. If you can get a metal dog crate put some paper in the bottom and put the crate onto some bricks so that it is off the ground and the air can get underneath and then put the chicken inside. With the colder air flowing underneath her it can stop the broodyness. You will have to put her in it for at least a week and see whay happens. Forgot to say to leave the crate in the run so the others can see her.

[hillfooter]

I'd be extremely doubtful that a Black Rock is broody particularly at such a young age.  As long as she's managing to pass the egg I wouldn't be too concerned just keep her under observation for potential egg binding.  

Are the eggs ridged (ie have uneven shape) which might indicate the egg's paused in it's passage down the oviduct?  Could be that the contractions aren't properly synchronised if there is, but I don't know what can be done to fix this if anything.  Is she properly fed on a complete compound layers feed and and not being over fed with treats particularly high protein like mealworms, which can make her overweight and have more difficulty passing eggs.  It's all a case of the muscles being properly conditioned to produce the correctly synchronised contractions to transport the egg.   I assume the shell is a normal thickness and isn't thin or soft which can make it difficult to transport?

It's not unusual to have a few blood smeared eggs when they first start laying.  Their oviduct will get better conditioned to passing eggs as she gets more experience.  

Black Rocks can lay extra large eggs which can take some passing which is what this sounds like.  How large are the eggs?  It may develep into a binding problem or resort to a more settled normal pattern.  I don't think there's much you can do currently unless a definite binding problem occurs.
HF

[Sassy]

I have a Light Sussex that can spend two hours laying her egg. She is three now and is happy and healthy. I have decided it is an excuse for a rest!

[rudy]

My hybrids lay an egg and then sit on it for a while, especially if there is a whole pile... then they get a bit confused when i take the egg/s out and look for them for a bit!  then they get bored and wander off.
It makes me laugh every time.