1-year-old hen laying 'invisible' eggs

[shelleyd2008]

So I have this Marans hen that is about 14 months old I guess. For at least the past month, she has been going to the same area and sitting forever like she is going to lay an egg. There were even a few times when she came off her 'nest' cackling like she'd just laid the biggest egg in the world. Now this silly girl is wanting to go broody on her invisible eggs and goes to the nest every day even though I take her off her 'nest' every night. What gives? She obviously thinks she's laying but she never has.

Edit to add: I'm wondering how my hen can BE broody when she's never laid an egg? She acts like she is laying by going to the nest every day and even singing the 'egg song' a few times, but she has never laid. Now she is broody.

 

[HEChicken]

The first thing that came to mind is that she is an egg eater. Have you ever sat and watched her until she is done sitting and sings the egg song?

On the other hand, I did have a BO who was a great layer until she passed an ovary and after that she never laid again, but did go and sit in the nest box almost every day as though she thought she still had eggs left to lay.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I thought the same thing, that maybe she was eating them, but I have been out there when she's left the nest and there was nothing there. She doesn't sing the egg song every time, only once in a while. I also thought maybe she was laying internally, but with it having gone on this long I would think she'd have some kind of other problems if she'd been internally laying. She is full-fledged broody now, and it just baffles me since she has never laid. I gave her a few eggs the other day and she tucked them under her, yet she returns to her nest even with no eggs there.

 

[mulelover1999]

You could try giving her a few fertilized eggs so shes not sitting there doing nothing.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Well, she's not doing any less than she normally does. My question is why does she not lay eggs, if you have any suggestions for that.

 

[theoldchick]

A full fledged broody will not lay eggs until she completes her broody cycle. Once she's laid eggs ( I'm assuming she did produce eggs at one time), her internal clock says, "Time to Set!" her metabolism will slow down. All kinds of hormonal changes take place and she'll be a fierce defender of her nest and eventually chicks. Like a hibernating bear, she'll use body fat as energy, while she's setting. Don't matter if she has eggs or not. She's gonna sit there for 21 days unless you break her. But some hens are so determined you can take them to the south pole and they still are gonna set.

If you don't want to raise chicks, leave her be. Keep food and water near her, and make sure she's safe from predators.

If you want to raise chicks, now is a perfect time, to give her a fertile eggs.

 

[shelleyd2008]

She has never produced an egg, that is my question. She has acted like she was laying by going to the same nest area every day and even singing the egg song a few times. Now she is broody. But she has never laid an egg.

Because her 'nest' is in an open area and we had a coon problem (not sure if they are gone), I've been moving her every night along with my free-rangers into a small coop that I can close up. Every night I move her, and every morning she goes right back to her 'nest' of invisible eggs.

SHE HAS NEVER LAID AN EGG--that is the question. How can she have never laid an egg and still be broody? Will she ever lay?

 

[mulelover1999]

Hens can go broody with or without eggs. She'll lay eventually. Just give her time

 

[theoldchick]

I had a 9 month old Jersey Giant go broody when she was barely 9 months old. She had been laying for a couple months, and liked to lay 'fart' eggs. I assumed she had a problem with manufacturing normal eggs, and let it go at that. After she went broody she started laying normal sized eggs.

Your gal may be a slow starter, and I'm not sure how you have determined she's not laying an egg. Does she live alone? The only hen in your flock? Hens go in and out of the nesting area several times a day. I've watched my hens for several hours and it was a hoot to watch them go in the coop, select one nest box only to go in another, then simply leave the coop all together, to go preen with her sisters.

My question is are you absolutely sure she's not laying eggs?

 

[coffeenutdesign]

Maybe going broody will "reset" her egg maker clock so will finally start laying once she is past the broodiness.