Sits On Nest but doesn't lay

[dr1939]

I have a chicken around 3 years old. She use to lay but when she went into molt last fall she hasn't laid since. Around every other day or so she goes and sits on the nest for 45 minutes to an hour but doesn't lay an egg???
anyone have any ideas about what's going on with her?

Thanks

 

[GitaBooks]

If she hasn't been doing this long, it could be egg-binding, which is serious, but because you said she's been doing it for a while, I doubt its that.

It could be that she wants to go broody after all this time, though she should stay on the nest longer if that is the case.

Chickens of her age generally slow in egg production, but they don't usually stop. Maybe she eats the eggs after she lays them?

Maybe she just thinks she's still suppose to be laying but no eggs are developing inside of her?

One chicken had a reproductive problem where it developed yolks but don't turn them into eggs, just storing them in her body. This can lead to problems later in life.


Hope she's okay.
Best of luck to you!

 

[dr1939]

Thanks for the reply. I thought of egg binding at first but I think she would be dead by now. She seems to be in good health otherwise. She is a rather rogue chicken any way , she won't sleep in the pen at night she prefers to sleep in a tree. They free range in the backyard during the day. She gets up on the roof and walks across the roof to the front yard and sleeps in a big oak tree??? Like I said she is a rather rogue chicken. Thanks again for the reply it may be she is just through laying eggs?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Thanks for the reply. I thought of egg binding at first but I think she would be dead by now. She seems to be in good health otherwise. She is a rather rogue chicken any way , she won't sleep in the pen at night she prefers to sleep in a tree. They free range in the backyard during the day. She gets up on the roof and walks across the roof to the front yard and sleeps in a big oak tree??? Like I said she is a rather rogue chicken. Thanks again for the reply it may be she is just through laying eggs?

Have you checked around to be sure she is not using the nest box as a "staging area" to prepare to lay but then deciding to wander off to a rogue nest to actually lay? Many hens will spend time in the box but then leave prior to laying - or spend time in the box and not lay. Have you done the ol' "who's producing exam" on her - checking the condition of her vent, legs, comb/wattles, eye ring, beak, etc?

 

[aart]

Have you checked around to be sure she is not using the nest box as a "staging area" to prepare to lay but then deciding to wander off to a rogue nest to actually lay? Many hens will spend time in the box but then leave prior to laying - or spend time in the box and not lay. Have you done the ol' "who's producing exam" on her - checking the condition of her vent, legs, comb/wattles, eye ring, beak, etc?

Eye ring?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Eye ring?

The area of tissue immediately around the eye.
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/4aj/4aj07po/4aj07po.pdf - page two is a good example of the difference between good production and poor production condition of the eye ring and other facial characteristics