New laying hen pacing in and out of coop

[Lhynes1478]

Question. My Blue Andalusian hen (far left in pic) is the first to start laying out of all of my 24wk old hens. She has laid about 4 eggs since Wednesday, but all day she goes just in and out of the coop to the run and then lays down in the nest box and repeats it over and over. She lays her eggs at first light it seems, but won’t leave the coop really all day while all of the others are free ranging. Is this broodiness or something else? Info added: I do have roosters and it has also been 5°F in the mornings and 20°F in the afternoon since she started laying and I’m in Alaska with quickly diminishing sunlight.

Thank you for any help or ideas

 

[azygous]

It's exposure of the pineal gland to a certain number of hours a day of light that stimulates a hen to release an ovum to become an egg. It's very likely your pullets are just on the very edge of having too little light to trigger laying. This young hen may be experiencing the restlessness that often accompanies the urge to lay an egg, but her reproductive system is teetering between laying and shutting down for the dark months ahead.

Give her a calcium citrate tablet which may be all she needs to get this one last egg out as calcium does have an effect on reproductive functions.