[EggBound]

My light sussex came into lay in January, and being a contrary little madam, lays her eggs in the late afternoon instead of first thing in the morning like the others.  A couple of times this week I've thought I've lost her, but found her sitting in a nestbox on her egg, squawking like mad at anyone who comes near her.  I've taken the egg (they're not fertile - wouldn't be allowed a cockerel in the middle of the housing estate!) but she has refused to move until the next morning.  When I open the pop hole she rushes out with the others, ignoring the other hens' eggs.  It's only her own she seems reluctant to part with.  Is this normal behaviour?  Its only in the last few days she has been doing it.

[Vember]

Could be that she's going broody EB

Is she rosey to herself? If you pop your hand under her in the nest box does she snuggle down on to it?

Only reason I ask is my light sussex go broody at the drop of a hat April, May, June time I'm lucky if I get 3 weeks of eggs in a row before they decided to go again

Sarah

[shiatsusu]

Or at the drop of an egg sarah  I love the image of your girl shouting at the top of her voice while on her egg eggbound!! 

[EggBound]

Aaw, I hope she's not going broody.  I shall feel so cruel taking all the eggs off her if she's trying so hard.  I'll try the snuggling on my hand this afternoon if she does it again - although you need to be pretty brave to put a hand anywhere near her when she's in that mood!  Its amazing how angry she looks when she puffs all her feathers out and shouts at you for disturbing her 

[shiatsusu]

Sounds to me like she's broody then 

[andreadon]

yep, to me too!

some books say put her in a draughty nest box, but if it's winter, i don't think that's a good idea....
just keep taking the eggs away - she'll keep laying until she's got enough eggs to hatch, so if you keep taking them away, she'll think she's still got work to do!

[EggBound]

OK thanks.  We'll just have to draw straws to see who gets to tackle her for her egg then!    She's the bravest chicken we have - nothing scares her.  The dog is terrified of her - been pecked too often now!

[Vember]

If she's going to go broody she will No matter if you take the eggs or not
I've had one sit nothing

The thing to bare in mind once she stops laying and sits "proper" the longer you let her sit the longer it'll be till you have eggs again

Best thing you can do, once she starts sitting is to keep getting her off the nest. I have tried the removing of the bird into a dark separate shed with no nest idea and have to say for me it didn't work

Just keep chucking her off and hopefully she'll get bored

Sarah

[cathangirl]

Eggbound and Vember,
Are your Light Sussex pure breed or hybrid?
I have two L.S. and they announce to the world when they go to lay, as well as afterwards.
cathangirl

[wafflycat]

One of my ex-batts got into an egg hoarding habit for a while last summer - a bit broody, as she'd lay but stay on the nest and if her sister had laid earlier, she'd roll that egg over to her and start sitting on that too. I got her out of it by removing eggs a.s.ap. after laying (helps that I work form home and can keep a close eye on proceedings) and physically removing her from the nest and closing it up so she couldn't get back on it during the day. It took a week, but it cured her.

[Vember]

Eggbound and Vember,
Are your Light Sussex pure breed or hybrid?
I have two L.S. and they announce to the world when they go to lay, as well as afterwards.
cathangirl

Hi Cathan

Mine are Pure breeds Very quiet when laying before & after But if they're going broody they wonder around rosey softly almost talking to themselves (if you know what I mean). I know then that sitting isn't far off happening

I agree wafflycat breaking a broody is easier if your around in the day to keep moving them off

Sarah

[EggBound]

Don't know whether she is pure-bred or not.  Sold to me as a light sussex, but it is my first time keeping chickens and my daughter just chose one of each colour the supplier had!
  She's certainly noisy though.  She didn't bother to sit on her egg yesterday, so it's only some days she's doing it.  I will just evict her on the days she tries to sit and hopes she stops it.  Thank you all for your comments.  I don't know anyone else who keeps chickens so people think I'm a bit mad (mid-life crisis anyone?!), but on this site I know I'm in good company!