help! Possible egg bound first timer pullet

[Marianne]

My friend has a pullet that may or may not have laid her first egg. She's 4 months old, been sitting on a nest for a good 20 hours now. What can she do to help her expell the egg?

Uh, hate to be pushy, but we're sitting here...like the hen.....patiently.....

 

[CrimsonRose]

I would pick her up and look under her... worst thing is she gets really mad at you... but they always get over it...

what breed of chicken is it? a type that likes to go broody?

only if she is acting sickly I would worry about her being egg bound... she might just like sitting in the nest for no other reason other than she like it... LOL

 

[Marianne]

Thanks for the fast response.
These hens are only 4 months old, only a few are laying, so she's not sure if this gal has laid an egg or if this is her first. She's a Buff Orpington.
She thinks that she can feel an egg underneath, but over to the side, not at the vent. My friend has had chickens before, so this isn't her first dance with them, but..? The hen couldn't possibly be broody could she? I know that breed goes broody often.

 

[CrimsonRose]

I have a few young hens now who just like sitting on the nest cause they see the big gals doing it... One will sit in the "favorite" nest just to hog it from the other hens and she isn't even laying yet... LOL The new gals I have are an egg laying breed and don't even go broody but I think it's just sort of a status thing to sit on the nest for a while... LOL

as long as she looks healthy and is eating and going potty ok I wouldn't worry about it any... at 4 months their hormones are starting to kick in and they do all sorts of weird things just trying to figure it all out...

so in my opinion you have a teenage chicken who is sitting on a nest just to annoy you... ROFL I doubt she's broody but with her being a broody breed and hormones kicking it the "instinct" to sit is there maybe she's just trying it out...

 

[TanksHill]

I was thinking maybe she just has the urge but no egg yet. Hang in there.

I had an egg bound chicken once. She was waddling around in the field. I bent over to pick her up. I think I must have squeezed to hard because out it popped right at my feet. She ran off very relieved.

g

 

[Marianne]

Thanks, peeps!

 

[big brown horse]

My friend who had an egg bound chicken said they look very uncomfortable all the time. Like they are trying to push and push the egg out. She said it was horrible.

I hope this chick is just going broody. My buff o went broody at a young age and will sit on air if there are no eggs.

 

[i_am2bz]

I have a few young hens now who just like sitting on the nest cause they see the big gals doing it... One will sit in the "favorite" nest just to hog it from the other hens and she isn't even laying yet... LOL The new gals I have are an egg laying breed and don't even go broody but I think it's just sort of a status thing to sit on the nest for a while... LOL

And I have an older hen who hasn't laid in 6 months who occasionally will sit in a nest box...I guess for old-times sake.