Young hen acting frantic

[CluckingQueen]

I have 6mth old Olive egger that is frantic today. She has been laying okay. I have found her eggs in the nesting box, coop floor, run. However, today she is acting extremely frantic. She cleaned out my nesting boxes and seems to be searching for a spot but is not laying down. I don't really knkw what to do to help her. I did try to soak her in warm water with Epsom salt. She only let it go for about 5mins before she started fighting it & seemed to really stress her out. She is back outside still being frantic. Thoughts?

 

[Shadrach]

I have 6mth old Olive egger that is frantic today. She has been laying okay. I have found her eggs in the nesting box, coop floor, run. However, today she is acting extremely frantic. She cleaned out my nesting boxes and seems to be searching for a spot but is not laying down. I don't really knkw what to do to help her. I did try to soak her in warm water with Epsom salt. She only let it go for about 5mins before she started fighting it & seemed to really stress her out. She is back outside still being frantic. Thoughts?

If she's been laying in her coop until recently and seems now to be searching for an alternative nest site I would say she's broody and looking for a safe nest where her eggs wont be removed.
I don't believe broodienss starts when the hen turn into hissing pancake, the evidence I've seen suggests to me that they know they intend to sit and hatch long before they sit.

 

[CluckingQueen]

If she's been laying in her coop until recently and seems now to be searching for an alternative nest site I would say she's broody and looking for a safe nest where her eggs wont be removed.
I don't believe broodienss starts when the turn into hissing pancakes, the evidence I've seen suggests to me that they know they intend to sit and hatch long before they sit.

Thank you!! I didn't even think about that. She is hollering the whole bit. Even when I let them out in the yard earlier she was running all over the place frantic.

None of the others have ever acted this way.
She did pick a box that the others do not use. She wasn't there long. I did notice on the camera she laid down & was picking at the bedding. She left already.
I will wait and check when I close them up for bed.

 

[Shadrach]

Thank you!! I didn't even think about that. She is hollering the whole bit. Even when I let them out in the yard earlier she was running all over the place frantic.

None of the others have ever acted this way.
She did pick a box that the others do not use. She wasn't there long. I did notice on the camera she laid down & was picking at the bedding. She left already.
I will wait and check when I close them up for bed.

There are other possible explanations.
If she is a junior hen she may be getting bullied out of the nest box, but if it's been okay it's difficult to see what and why the change.
Not all hens do this. One has to bear in mind that if I am right then those hens that are unlikely to go broody won't do this nest change. That rules out a lot of hens and thus the opportunity to observe the outcome.
Also, a senior hen may feel confident enough to get stuck in in the coop nest boxes knowing it's unlikely any other hens will bother her.
However, when I have seen this behaviour in free ranging and dawn till dusk ranging hens every time I can recal, if I didn't manage the situation, as soon as the hen changed nest sites, if left to get on with it, went broody.

 

[CluckingQueen]

There are other possible explanations.
If she is a junior hen she may be getting bullied out of the nest box, but if it's been okay it's difficult to see what and why the change.
Not all hens do this. One has to bear in mind that if I am right then those hens that are unlikely to go broody won't do this nest change. That rules out a lot of hens and thus the opportunity to observe the outcome.
Also, a senior hen may feel confident enough to get stuck in in the coop nest boxes knowing it's unlikely any other hens will bother her.
However, when I have seen this behaviour in free ranging and dawn till dusk ranging hens every time I can recal, if I didn't manage the situation, as soon as the hen changed nest sites, if left to get on with it, went broody.

I think you were on the right path. I went out to check and there was an egg. However, I feel like I committed a crime now, lol, she was looking for it. She went right to that box looking around and was flicking the bedding all over the place.

Thank you!

 

[aart]

How long has she been laying?
Newly laying pullets can be pretty crazy.