New laying hen staying in run/coop

[Vickydolittle]

I currently have only one out of 16 hens laying. However, a couple days up to laying to now laying for two days, this hen has been sticking to the coop/run area vs free ranging with the rest of the flock. The run and coop part does normally stay open so the chickens can come and go as they please (there's also a little bit of food and water there as well). Is this behavior because she wants to stay close by in case she lays an egg? Wants to protect the nest? Might be broody eventually? Are all my hens going to do this at first?
Thanks for the help!

 

[nuthatched]

Do you have fake eggs so she knows where to go?

 

[Vickydolittle]

Yes, she knows where to go and has been laying in the same spot so far.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I currently have only one out of 16 hens laying. However, a couple days up to laying to now laying for two days, this hen has been sticking to the coop/run area vs free ranging with the rest of the flock. The run and coop part does normally stay open so the chickens can come and go as they please (there's also a little bit of food and water there as well). Is this behavior because she wants to stay close by in case she lays an egg? Wants to protect the nest? Might be broody eventually? Are all my hens going to do this at first?
Thanks for the help!

I wouldn't expect all your hens to do this. I've never seen it in my 14 years of chicken tending. I don't know why she is doing it. Is she hanging out on a nest all the time, or on a roost, on the floor, or ...? I also wouldn't expect that she's going broody, although I suppose it's possible - if she's on the nest all the time, day and night. They don't normally go broody as soon as they start laying. Do you have cockerels that might be harassing her and making her afraid to come out? Or some other hen that's bullying her? @Ridgerunner, any insights here?

 

[Vickydolittle]

I haven't seen her be bullied by any other chickens. All of my buff orpingtons tend to be some of the top hens. She's just in the coop or in the run or outside, but within eyesight of it. If she sees me go close to the coop, she starts making a ruckus so I was thinking maybe she was being a little protective or something? Or maybe trying to tell me that it's her spot or "look what I did!" When she lays an egg? I don't have any roosters.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know why she is doing that but I'm sure it makes perfect sense to her. I have not noticed that behavior before but I could easily miss it. As long as she is eating normally, pooping normally, and sleeping in her normal place I would not worry about it. Their hormones change when they start to lay. Odd behavior would not surprise me.