A Pretend-Egg-Laying Chicken ~ Unusual?

[ChirpyChicks1]

It is helpful to know that someone else is having a similar experience with TWO chickens that pretend to lay eggs. How long has this Behaviour been going on? Our Buff has been playing this game for 4 months without a single egg produced in that time. I've come to the conclusion she is a DUD (for unknown reasons). She is a sweet hen, notparticularly interested in The Pecking Order, as some hens are. Perhaps she will be interested in hatching a few eggs of the other chickens next spring??? We Shall see ....

My first hen who did this (or at least the first one I noticed) has always been my best layer, she even laid every day throughout winter even though I provided no extra light. She started fake laying in late spring/early summer but is now back to pretty normal laying.

The second hen is at the bottom on the pecking order and never really started back up last spring, very random eggs. I thought it was just because the other hens are so dang mean to her, she is so jumpy and scared that I figured she was just too stressed to lay. In August I noticed I was seeing her in the nesting boxes a lot and congratulated her on working through her mental issues lol NOPE she was just teasing. She goes in the boxes multiple times a day, sometimes for hours and hours. She did lay one egg last week, it was pretty small, and she cackled like crazy, must have been pretty proud lol

The first hen did her egg song every day of fake laying, the 2nd hen does not. They have been driving me nuts and I'm constantly checking them for bugs and watching the behavors and eating/drinking. They are physically fine, just mentally a pain in the butt lol

 

[Faybeau]

This is SO reassuring that my hen isn't alone in her strange behavior. Perhaps I should consider myself fortunate that I only have the ONE that is going through this!
LOL~~~ I can relate to your description of your Bottom of the Pecking Order Hen and how Jumpy she is (poor thing). I have TWO that are at the Bottom of the Pecking Order are very much relegated from the rest of the group. My experience with them has taught me to never again introduce only ONE or TWO newbies to the larger flock since they immediately are picked on by all the others. Even though they are the same age and size of the younger chickens, they were 'outsiders' and are regularly abused by all the other chickens (I have a total of 16).
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience & reassure me that there isn't anything really WRONG with my Buff!

 

[cosmicmama]

I know this is a VERY old thread, but I have a blue-laced red Wyandotte who is nearly a year old who is doing this. Her "sisters" have been laying since September, I don't think Jolene has ever laid an egg but every day she sits in the next and "pretends", sings the song and everything.

 

[Agi]

Hey old thread rejuvenation!
I have the same issue, a 1 year old star rousse egg laying pretender. Or maybe the eggs are just invisible haha. Hopefully something will happen this spring but for now I feel bad for her obsessive fake laying, even making a little nest with wood shavings. She’s trying to fit in with the rest.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Hey old thread rejuvenation!
I have the same issue, a 1 year old star rousse egg laying pretender. Or maybe the eggs are just invisible haha. Hopefully something will happen this spring but for now I feel bad for her obsessive fake laying, even making a little nest with wood shavings. She’s trying to fit in with the rest.

Same here.

 

[Nataliariek73]

I don't believe she is egg bound or she would have had symptoms and most likely be DEAD by now .... Other than pretending to lay an egg once a day, she is otherwise very happy and healthy. Thank you for the thought .... If she seemed listless or somehow seemed unwell, I'd take her to our vet. So Far, she is just happy as a clam, has a great appetite and is quite healthy looking!
Thank you for your thoughts and for taking the time to try and help me figure this out!

Mine is doing same crup, it has been 2 weeks now since she did not lay any..