# How do hens on eggs act? Is this normal/healthy?



## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

I am letting Freya nest under my desk for the moment, because I don't know what else to do. For months I've tried to dissuade from laying via hormone control methods, but she keeps on popping out eggs. She was ignoring them for a while, but it seems like now that she finally found a place to nest, she's interested.

I found a nice big "breeding" cage for her and Moon (it's a 36" x 24" flight cage), and will be setting them up at my friend's house with a nest box in the next few days. I really think that she needs to be able to go through the cycle of sitting on her eggs so that she will eventually move on. I haven't seen her and Moon mating lately, so I think these may be infertile -- but regardless, they will either get boiled or replaced with fakes this time around.

Now, to my question...does poor Freya look okay? I've never seen a hen on eggs before and don't know how they are supposed to look/act. She is fluffed up, sometimes tail bobbing slightly. She can't seem to figure out how to sit on the eggs, or at least not more than one at a time, but it may be because of the lack of space and the fact that this isn't a proper nest. 






I just want to make sure that her behavior is not indicative of egg-binding. I'm thinking that if she wants to sit on these, she is done laying -- right? Every single egg thus far has been well-formed, so I haven't been _too_ worried about her health. I just know she can't keep popping out eggs indefinitely without serious consequences.

To me, she looks sick, but if I get her to leave the eggs she perks up and acts totally normal until she goes back to them. When I disturb her, she hisses a little but lets me pick her up. And when I place her on the cage, she'll eat and drink greedily. But it doesn't occur to her to do so most of the time. :\ Moon isn't attempting to feed her or anything, but hopefully when they're in their cage together and have a real box he'll step up his act.

Sorry for the long-winded post -- thanks to anyone who read through it and can offer some input.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

I don't think I see another egg here, but let me know if I'm wrong...


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Honestly, to me it looks like she's gonna lay another egg. My budgie looked something like that and then there was an egg. I may be very wrong though. Does she have any noticeable egg bum?


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

I don't know...I posted pics above. Does she look "eggnant"?

She isn't sitting on them now; she finally took a break and is stuffing her face full of food.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

Mine fluff up when brooding, it exposes a layer of skin and fat on their belly to keep the eggs warm. Never paid attention to egg bums, but the behavior looks and sounds normal to me, the rocking is likely because she sees you near her nest and she's insecure about it (though she doesn't really look that way in the video). Just because she is sitting doesn't mean she is done laying, I saw a chronic egg layer one time put out as many as ten. :/


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Thanks, that's helpful! I thought they didn't start sitting on the eggs until they had the full clutch. Regardless, if she is not acting egg bound that's the main thing. She is eating her calcium perch and mineral block and has a balanced diet and full-spectrum lighting, and her eggs have looked good, so I have not been overly worried about egg binding thus far.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

moonchild said:


> Thanks, that's helpful! I thought they didn't start sitting on the eggs until they had the full clutch. Regardless, if she is not acting egg bound that's the main thing. She is eating her calcium perch and mineral block and has a balanced diet and full-spectrum lighting, and her eggs have looked good, so I have not been overly worried about egg binding thus far.


Hen sitting varies a little, Pikachu will start sitting right away. My friends say most hens start sitting when the second or third egg is laid. Chronic egg layers in general tend to wait a while longer. My only concern about moving her is that she might start a new clutch in her breeding cage and abandon the old ones (even if you place the eggs in there with her).


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

She seems to look normal to me, Swinger puffs up and sways when she's on her eggs to and she starts sitting on them at around egg number two or three but she always sits on them for a little bit after she's layed one.
I'm usually pretty good at telling when Swingers going to lay an egg by looking at her egg bum  I can't be to sure by your pictures because I usually look at her from side on but it does look a bit like she's going to lay another


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Egg laying is very stressful for a hen so you will notice her less active and more sleeping. It's completely normal. Freya definitely has an egg bum, she will lay her next egg very soon.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Darkel777 said:


> Hen sitting varies a little, Pikachu will start sitting right away. My friends say most hens start sitting when the second or third egg is laid. Chronic egg layers in general tend to wait a while longer. My only concern about moving her is that she might start a new clutch in her breeding cage and abandon the old ones (even if you place the eggs in there with her).


Her abandoning the eggs is a risk I'll just have to take. Since I'm not trying to hatch these eggs (and I don't even know if they're fertile), the main thing here is getting her in a better situation ASAP. I'm not sure if I should give them the nestbox straightaway, or maybe hope the change in environment will disrupt her and give me a chance to try again with hormone control...hmmm.



blueybluesky said:


> She seems to look normal to me, Swinger puffs up and sways when she's on her eggs to and she starts sitting on them at around egg number two or three but she always sits on them for a little bit after she's layed one.
> I'm usually pretty good at telling when Swingers going to lay an egg by looking at her egg bum  I can't be to sure by your pictures because I usually look at her from side on but it does look a bit like she's going to lay another





Haimovfids said:


> Egg laying is very stressful for a hen so you will notice her less active and more sleeping. It's completely normal. Freya definitely has an egg bum, she will lay her next egg very soon.


Thanks guys. Now I'm getting super paranoid that she's egg-bound, because it's been a few days and no new egg...Ill try to get some new pictures of her tummy today.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

She would be having trouble walking and would be letting out sharp cries of pain if she were egg bound, straining to pass the egg. If she's been quiet, I bet she's fine.

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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

When did she lay her last egg? She is on a healthy diet but does she eat her cuddle bone? I don't think she is egg bound


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Sexy once went three days between laying eggs and she was fine


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Darkel777 said:


> She would be having trouble walking and would be letting out sharp cries of pain if she were egg bound, straining to pass the egg. If she's been quiet, I bet she's fine.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-S738C using Tapatalk


That makes me feel tons better! She is acting normal and not showing any signs of discomfort. She isn't doing the tail-bobbing thing anymore either since she figured out how to sit on the eggs.



Haimovfids said:


> When did she lay her last egg? She is on a healthy diet but does she eat her cuddle bone? I don't think she is egg bound


Yes, she eats her mineral block and calcium perch. 



blueybluesky said:


> Sexy once went three days between laying eggs and she was fine


Good to know! It's been several days without an egg now, but she seems healthy so I think she must be done laying.


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

omg...now she's ignoring them! I wonder if she has abandoned the nest or is just taking a break.


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

I bet just taking a break, remember the male is supposed to sit on them during the day. The two are supposed to switch off and on.

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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Yeah, she eventually went back to them. I feel terrible -- I stepped on one!  So far she doesn't seem to have noticed. I held them up to a light, though, and it would appear that none are fertile.


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## catalinadee (Jan 1, 2011)

She looks like she is normal to me! If she wasn't puffy on the eggs I'd be worried haha. Birds also can go into 'egg lethargy'. They can look awful before they're going to lay an egg and it can be worrying because you don't know whether they're sick or not. I'm sure she's done for now though. Also, because the eggs aren't all under her at once they may not develop anyway so I wouldn't be too worried about it as it is


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## moonchild (Jul 29, 2012)

Thanks!

I made her a temporary nest box, since plans to move her and Moon are on hold due to snow and dangerous driving conditions. How does it look?










The top will go on once she figures out what the box is for. In the meantime, she's doing fine.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

That nest looks so warm and cosy. Glad to hear Freya is doing well.


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