FINCHforum

I have another GS hen who has been sitting in her nest most of the day, but while she is there she makes a high pitched chirp like a chick every few seconds. She looked like she might lay an egg, but then left the nest. Her droppings were white and liquid-pudding like consistency. Could she be egg bound? She has done this about three times since last night. Otherwise, she is eating and flying aroung the cage or perching. gave her Calcium Plus today, and she gets eggfood and pellet/seed mix with greens. Anything else I should or could do?

The only thing I can think of is to provide a heatlamp and see if she goes to it. If she does, you know she's feeling 'off'.

Hens will chirp to get the male to feed them. Like canaries the male will feed the hen while she is incubating...
Maybe she is just practicing for the real thing
If she was eggbound she would look miserable, not be eating, panting, tail boobing, wings spread out to the side, fluffed, etc.

CandoAviary wrote:Hens will chirp to get the male to feed them. Like canaries the male will feed the hen while she is incubating...
Maybe she is just practicing for the real thing
If she was eggbound she would look miserable, not be eating, panting, tail boobing, wings spread out to the side, fluffed, etc.

She would do what with her tail, Candace?

Figures Liz would have caught that booboo

lovemyfinch wrote:Figures Liz would have caught that booboo

It's been a while since we've had fun catching typos.

OK, I put on the heat lamp and she is staying in the nest, which is near the lamp. I gave her a dose of Calcium Plus via syringe, although; she nipped and made a ruckus. She was somewhat thin to me, as I held her and I could not feel an egg at the vent area. She is alert and eating so, I'm not sure what she is doing.
Candace,
Are you saying that she may just be chirping in the nest for practice, prior to laying any eggs? I had not thought about that, but she might be. I saw the mate feeding her when she was perched on the wall of the cage between sits. He has not fed her while in the nest.

Yeah, Tail boobing...you girls never heard of that
that hen is workin' it excuse me, tail bobbing..

I have had hens of many species... all open nest breeders do that with those little baby chirps. I oftened wondered if she was purposely trying to sound like a chick or if that is just the call for feed me

Thanks everyone. Well, she was not just practicing, she laid an egg this morning. So, I guess the Calcium plus and heat helped. I'll watch her to see if there are more eggs to come, but she is looking and acting better.