Will a hen squat even if she is sterile?

[Spinster_Sister]

My hen, Parsley, has not laid eggs for almost 2.5 weeks now. She has been on a 12 day run of Baytril for possible EYP. She seems normal...eating, drinking, dust bathing and pecking at her pal, Saffron. The past two days she has squatted for me. Today she actually got into the laybox on her own and made her "ooooo,oooo,ooooooo" sounds then hopped out. She then hogged Saffron's laybox and they both stayed together for almost 2 hours, softly trilling. Saffron laid a nice large egg and nothing from Parsley. But Parsley did squat for me when I walked into their run.

Now, will a hen squat and visit a lay box IF she has no eggs? Does going to the laybox and assuming the position habit or is it instinct driven....the vet said that Parsley's egg laying are probably over...if so, why visit the box and squat?

I'm making myself worried sick over this....maybe I should just take some Lorazepam and take a nap.

HELP!!!

~Vickie

 

[HEChicken]

Yes! I have a BO who threw an ovary about 9 months ago and hasn't laid an egg since. She still squats and spends time in the nest box almost every day. Apparently SHE still thinks she's laying

 

[anderson8505]

She doesn't know she's sterile. She's being a chicken. Poor thing, hope she gets better!

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I too have a sterile chicken. Had this silkie hen for over a year and got her as an adult of unknown age... she has wrinkled feet and is obviously a senior lady and no eggs at all since the day she came home with me. However, "Sunshine" will not submit for the rooster and is fairly low on the pecking order. Also doesn't visit the nest box. But she is my husband's pet and so she stays...