Hen's First Egg (and Mine)

[Little Kitten]

My Hen Morty laid her first egg. I've never raised chickens so this was all new to me! Before she laid her egg, I notice she was more chattier than usual. She would pace around trying to find a nook to lay her egg. She laid her first egg on top of this small storage cube I keep outside. Luckily it didn't roll out. After she laid her egg, I gave her water, poor girl was dehydrated and more food.

That was on Sunday. Yesterday, I didn't see what happen when she laid her second egg. I found it after work.

Today around the late afternoon, Morty was jumping on the ladder we had outside, jumped on my lap for a while (which she never does), jumped on a wheelbarrow, and on the window ledge. She even jumped on top of the coop (yes sound made up but she jumped from the ladder). I saw her comb get paler and I knew that was a sign that she was ready to lay another one. I left her alone and came back to see no egg yet but more growling and panic from Morty. Is this because she's so new to this? The boys leave her alone but she gets freaked out when she can't see them. When the boys go to the other side of the yard, she lets out this loud yell as to say come back or where are you.

I left her alone again and I came back to see she was in her usual nesting stop trying to lay an egg however my rooster Mr. Poopy was right next to her. Dude, go away! I picked him up and put him down and soon after she popped out her egg.

My questions are: why are my roosters so close to her? It makes me worry because I can't keep them due to our city. They are soon going to go to the freezer. Will my hen be sad because she won't have them.

I'm trying to incubate her eggs since they are so tiny. Do you think she will be a good mother after the chicks are stable enough to be on their own? How do you introduce her to them?

I also want to get more hens because she'll be lonely without the boys. Should I get the hens after the boys are gone?

They all grew up together and I would hate to see the boys go but they are too aggressive with her (often two will mate with her at the same time), one of them stalks us (all bark and no bite).

Any suggestions?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! You will need more pullets; Morty can't be an 'only chicken', they are social birds who really need to be in a flock. Have AT LEAST three, and more will be better. You could raise some chicks next to her space in the coop, depending on it's size.
Don't try to hatch these first small eggs! If they develop at all, the chicks will be too small and just not do well. You need to have birds closer to adulthood, as in next late winter or spring.
Morty won't 'mother' chicks unless she's actually broody, which is a hormonal state that she may or may not exhibit, when she's in the mood. Later.
If roosters are illegal where you live, that's too bad, but move them on, for her sake, and yours.
Mary

 

[Little Kitten]

Welcome! You will need more pullets; Morty can't be an 'only chicken', they are social birds who really need to be in a flock. Have AT LEAST three, and more will be better. You could raise some chicks next to her space in the coop, depending on it's size.
Don't try to hatch these first small eggs! If they develop at all, the chicks will be too small and just not do well. You need to have birds closer to adulthood, as in next late winter or spring.
Morty won't 'mother' chicks unless she's actually broody, which is a hormonal state that she may or may not exhibit, when she's in the mood. Later.
If roosters are illegal where you live, that's too bad, but move them on, for her sake, and yours.
Mary

Thank you for your reply! I appreciate your advice on not trying to hatch her first eggs! This is why I love this forum. Thank you! I'll get more pullets. Should they be younger than my hen (whose 6 months)?

I guess I should get more pullets first and slowly transition the roosters to go away. It was hard at first to accept it but now we are set they need to go. At least we gave them a better life free ranging in the yard instead of being in a commercial farm.