[janeheritage]

Hello all. My light Sussex hybrid, Ethel, is the bottom chook of my 4. She has laid every day since she started about three weeks ago, although her eggs are very small.

What concerns me is that she is in the nest box for HOURS  . The others pop in, settle down and make themselves comfortable, coo for a bit, then lay and run out to get back to feeding. It usually takes them no more than an hour. She often goes in as she did today, about 8:30, and I'm writing this at 12:30 and she still hasn't emerged. I've had a look at her and she seems quite happy, fluffed out in the nest box and rosey quietly to herself. She showed no sign of moving when I opened the lid.

1) Is this normal?
2) If not, should I worry?

Thanks all!

[darcyhen]

could she be broody? not sure how it starts off.

[janeheritage]

Gee, I hope not! She's a hybrid... I thought they didn't...

[Kate and her Ducks]

How log has she been spending this long in the nest box? Does sound like she might bee broody. Domestic ducks are meant to either really but mine has been say on eggs for almost 3 weeks now. 

[janeheritage]

It's been getting longer every day for the last few days. And you can tell she's not grazing as much as the others, her egg yolks are much paler.

[janeheritage]

Well, after sitting from 830 in the morning she finally laid her little cream egg at 430 in the afternoon. I went to take her off the nest box and there it was, fresh and hot. I took it out and sent her off for food and drink - she ate a bit and drank some water and hopped straight back into the nest box, whereupon she let out an absolute SCREAM of indignation that someone had taken her precious egg.

So is it

(a) turf her off the whole time until she gets fed up:
(b) get her a ltitle ark and some hatching eggs?

I am a first time chicken keeper!

[Vember]

Bless her
The snag with getting some eggs is she might not sit full term

Sarah

[joyfull]

Oh boy shes's definately broody, you need to keep removing her for a couple of days and if she still persists then it's up to you if you want to put fertile eggs under her. If not then it's a case of either shutting her out of the nest box, dunking her bum in cold water, or sitting her in a cool cage to let her cool off, or just keep being persistant with removing her but this behavoir can go on for 3 weeks. I only got my first 2 hens last August and am now on my second lot of chicks (1st lot hatched last weekend and 2nd lot 14 days to go. Just remember with any chicks hatching you will get at least 50% boys if not more.

[janeheritage]

I would so love to raise some chicks. We willl nip out tomorrow and buy a broody ark if we can find one, then see if she sits tight for a day before eBaying for some hatching eggs! 

[joyfull]

I was lucky and got my banty eggs free from freecycle - not sure what breed as the lady thought they were silkies but I didn't think they were, the adults were feather legged though and very pretty. The eggs that mrs rhythm is sitting on came from ebay but from a chap (breeder and shows his hens, ducks, rheas, and ostriches) who is local so I fetched them rather than risk the postal system. Didn't want the risk of any getting scrambled. Are there any local people advertising fertile eggs either on ebay, freecycle or your local branch of pets for life?