The Cottage Smallholder

Hi guys.

Firstly let me introduce my brood. I have Dora who is a white leghorn (I think), Benny who is a black rock and Boots who is a Heinz variety (breeders own mix, combining Orpington, leghorn and goodness knows what else).

I got the girls on 21st December 2009 and they are the first chickens I have ever owned. Dora was laying even through the harsh winter we had and Benny and Boots started laying in the First week of February.

Dora is quite a skittish chuck, always the first out of the coop and can run like the wind! Benny is just steady, lovely character. Boots, hmmm. Boots is a bit dense. I love them all, none the less.

Now, my issue is that yesterday I noticed that Boots had vanished. When I checked out of the window hours later she was still missing. Knowing the garden is secure, there was only one place she could have been, and she was. The nest box. (For at least 5 hours by my time keeping)

She was sat on her egg and Dora's ( I can tell the difference as they all lay different colour eggs).

Being concerned, I picked her out, checked her over for any obvious signs of injury/illness but she was fine. I put her down and she went and got a drink (seemed desperate for grit more than food) and scratched around their area.

Now, this morning she was cluck-cluck-clucking at somewhere just after 0600, when I checked the coop a short time later, no egg from her, only Benny's (which I removed). All the girls came out when the coop was opened up but when I checked back at about 0900, Boots is in the nest box, sat on Dora's egg. (I have removed that egg now too)

It is now getting on for 1000 and she is still up there..

I am new to this so have not encountered this kind of thing before. Is she 'Broody' ? Do I need to do anything?

(Sorry this is a very long blog but I was trying to scene set so you can get a feel for the girls)

Thanks so much for giving this your time.