Why pretend to lay eggs (non-laying hens)

[FeatherCrest]

I have two 4yo hens and two 3yo hens. The 4yo olds are laying around 4 eggs a week. Both of the 3yo hens have not laid an egg in over a year. We have had them checked multiple times by the vet, but they cannot find anything. The hens appear healthy and happy though, so it is all good. I am not worried, I just wonder about a specific behaviour:

One of them is pretending to lay an egg Every. Single. Day. She sits in the nesting box, makes all the right noises, throws bedding over herself etc. and after about two hours she goes outsides and just goes on with her day as usual. The other does this occassionally, once every week or so. It does not matter if there is already an egg in the nesting box or not. Our rooster still finds them attractive, so he also did not get the memo that these are not fertile chickens and that there will never be any chicks.

I would assume that there usually is some kind of internal pressure that makes them think about finding a good spot to lay an egg. Because when there is no egg on its way (e.g. during molt or winter break) they don't go to the nesting boxes. So what would cause these two hens to pretend to lay eggs, why would they 'try' so consistently?

 

[Purelychicks]

I have two 4yo hens and two 3yo hens. The 4yo olds are laying around 4 eggs a week. Both of the 3yo hens have not laid an egg in over a year. We have had them checked multiple times by the vet, but they cannot find anything. The hens appear healthy and happy though, so it is all good. I am not worried, I just wonder about a specific behaviour:

One of them is pretending to lay an egg Every. Single. Day. She sits in the nesting box, makes all the right noises, throws bedding over herself etc. and after about two hours she goes outsides and just goes on with her day as usual. The other does this occassionally, once every week or so. It does not matter if there is already an egg in the nesting box or not. Our rooster still finds them attractive, so he also did not get the memo that these are not fertile chickens and that there will never be any chicks.

I would assume that there usually is some kind of internal pressure that makes them think about finding a good spot to lay an egg. Because when there is no egg on its way (e.g. during molt or winter break) they don't go to the nesting boxes. So what would cause these two hens to pretend to lay eggs, why would they 'try' so consistently?

I don’t know but my 7 yo wyandotte is doing this too and she doesn’t lay anymore really, or if she does it’s more like once a month.

 

[aart]

Our rooster still finds them attractive, so he also did not get the memo that these are not fertile chickens and that there will never be any chicks.

Does this mean he is mating them?

 

[FeatherCrest]

Does this mean he is mating them?

It does indeed.

 

[aart]

It does indeed.

That usually means they are laying.
Do you free range?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[FeatherCrest]

That usually means they are laying.
Do you free range?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

They free range, but there are not really any hiding places for secret eggs, and if there would be, I would have found some by now. All four hens lay different colour eggs, the ones that still lay have white and blue eggs, the two that don't have light and dark brown eggs. None, since December 2021.

Very helpful overview you shared, thanks! Their vents are definitely more moist than dry, and they have plump, red comb and wattles - so everything, including their behaviour, points to laying. Except.. nothing.

 

[aart]

They free range, but there are not really any hiding places for secret eggs, and if there would be, I would have found some by now. All four hens lay different colour eggs, the ones that still lay have white and blue eggs, the two that don't have light and dark brown eggs. None, since December 2021.

Very helpful overview you shared, thanks! Their vents are definitely more moist than dry, and they have plump, red comb and wattles - so everything, including their behaviour, points to laying. Except.. nothing.

I'd confine them for a week to be sure.

 

[hannahsocal]

That certainly is unusual!! I’ve never heard of this happening before for A YEAR!! Wow!! Did you confine them for a while and see if they are indeed laying but hiding the eggs?

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I don’t know but my 7 yo wyandotte is doing this too and she doesn’t lay anymore really, or if she does it’s more like once a month.

My 5 wyandottes are 2yrs old this May. They all took 4-5 months off - All of them! I was buying eggs on my way to buy chicken feed, lol. They all started again in January. I was perplexed b/c they stopped laying in the summer and started again in Mid January and have been little machines ever since.

 

[MarciaN]

I have a 3yr old black copper marans and she also stopped laying about 2 yrs ago after hatching out some chicks. We have a basket on the porch the chickens have claimed and I watched her twice today sit for while get up and do the egg song. We call her the faker (attention seeker). I have no idea why this happened. I can say I remember around that time we also had a raccoon attack and I do remember thinking well maybe she’s just stressed, but that was 2yrs ago. I don’t worry with it as she fits in the pecking order is happy and healthy.