Sugar last laid on the eighth April, five weeks ago. She laid her first seven eggs of the year and then went broody. I broke her out of her broody spell just over two weeks ago. Ever since then Sugar has spent a lot of time just sitting on the ground.
In between sitting Sugar seems normal and scratches, dust baths, preens, eats and drinks and runs to the treats. It’s just that after seeing Star spending all her time sitting this makes me worried. I put it down to Star’s bad ankle but should have known that chickens are not sensible enough to rest a bad ankle.
It is about now that Sugar usually starts laying again. Three times, every other day, Sugar has sat in a nest box for about an hour and then left without laying.
Sometimes Sugar has been sitting like this which made me think she could have an egg stuck. I have picked her up and inspected her but can’t see anything wrong. I took this photo before her first session in a nest box. She has since returned to the nest box every other day and yesterday came out shouting. I thought that may have meant she had finally got an egg laid but there was nothing there again.
Since her third time of sitting in the nest box Sugar perked up. Today I thought she seemed back to normal but have just checked on her and she is now sitting again. I really have no idea what is going on with her. If she had an egg stuck she would have deteriorated by now. I know from past experience that they go down hill very quickly when they have an egg problem.
In other news Storm came out of her broody spell and laid again on the same day that Gold went broody which was a week ago. Storm had a twelve day break and then started laying again. We seem to be doomed to only having two girls laying at any one time. Dot has been our only steadfast layer and often lays two or three days in a row.
I feel that something is not right with Sugar. She has always come back into lay easily before. It’s all very odd. I guess only time will tell.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Hi, Carol
Not an easily-explainable situation at all. Do you think she might have “long broodiness” (if such a condition exists)? I know that Lena, my millefleur pekin (a persistent and angry broody) was broken about 3-4 weeks ago, but is still making the odd clucking noise and every few days spends the night in one of the outside nest boxes. Just a thought, but basically I’m non-plussed.
At first I wondered if it was some kind of after effect of broodiness but she didn’t return to a nest box until over two weeks later and that’s the usual time that she starts laying again. No clucking noise either. I have just been up to check on her again and she ran down to greet me. I am perplexed.
Gold has now just laid again after a break of nine days. Sugar for the fourth time (every other day) has sat in the nest box for about an hour and again came out shouting but no egg. It’s as if she thinks she has laid. I am still perplexed by this.
I hope she will soon lay her egg. another wory for you.
I have had so many egg problems with seramas but I haven’t had this before. In the last eight days Sugar has sat in the nest box four times (every other day) for about an hour and come out without laying. She must think she needs to lay and the last two times she came out shouting so I think she thinks she has laid. If she had an egg stuck or an egg gone to the wrong place she would be very ill within two or three days. I don’t think she will lay now. She looks fine in between apart from sitting much more than usual which makes me sure that something is not right with her. There is nothing to do but wait and see how she goes. I don’t care if she never lays again as long as she stays healthy.