[crbrumbelow]

I read where people say a hen feels "eggy". Well I have a 10 year old hen that I think should have laid by now. They have built a nest and protect it. The cock seems extremely adamant about running her to the nest today so maybe she will lay in a little while. She feels great, eats good and shows all around signs of good health. I was just wondering if I could pick her up and feel her to see if she may have an egg in her. If so, if she is egg bound how do I help her?

Thanks

Russ

 

[spirit wings]

If she is egg bound she would act sick with her tail down and look uncomfortable, best to leave her alone if nothing is amiss, she may skip laying as she is getting older and may take her longer or she may be out of eggs....just wait and watch, less stress is better, and you don't want to crunch an egg if it is about to be layed....

 

[Lovebirds]

How long have you had this 10 year old hen? At that age, I suspect that she's not going to lay any more eggs.
Are you WANTING babies from her or are you just concerned that she hasn't laid yet?

 

[crbrumbelow]

I would really love to have babies from her.
I have only recently got her. Her original owner passed away and family didnt want the birds so I was lucky enough to get 21 of his birds, some breeders some not. She was a breeder and has a pretty good record. I have her paired with a cock that is an '07 and his record is impressive too. I am gonna give it a while. May try powdering up a calcium tablet and sprinkling it over the food and mixing it up. She is super healthy. Man its really a shame if she cant produce.
She is broody though. I bet she would surrogate. Hmm The pair builds a nest, I bet if I put eggs in it, they would go to sittin.

 

[Lovebirds]

I would really love to have babies from her.
I have only recently got her. Her original owner passed away and family didnt want the birds so I was lucky enough to get 21 of his birds, some breeders some not. She was a breeder and has a pretty good record. I have her paired with a cock that is an '07 and his record is impressive too. I am gonna give it a while. May try powdering up a calcium tablet and sprinkling it over the food and mixing it up. She is super healthy. Man its really a shame if she cant produce.
She is broody though. I bet she would surrogate. Hmm The pair builds a nest, I bet if I put eggs in it, they would go to sittin.

Well, that's what I was going to tell you. When a pair lays eggs then give this hen a couple of dummy eggs. I'll bet you she and her mate will sit on them. If they do, then you can foster some eggs to them from the pair that just laid. This will do two things. It will give her a chance to be a mommy AND if she's still fertile, it might kick start her and IF she can still lay, she may lay some eggs. Either way, trust me, a bird like this is worth it's weight in gold. I've got one and I can give her eggs or babies of almost any age and she will raise them for me.
If she was a good breeder, at 10 years old, I'm almost sure she's laid all the eggs she's going to lay, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Never can tell.

 

[hillfamilyloft]

I had the same situation. I have a 2000 hen who went through the laying cycle three times and no eggs. She was driven to the nest by the cock every time at about 10 day cycles. I decided that I was not getting any eggs so I used the pair as foster parents. They raised one set of youngsters from another pair. I then put two more foster eggs under them. And low and behold she laid the goofy looking egg while sitting on the other two. I then fostered this funny looking egg out to another pair. The eggs hatched so maybe I will get a healthy youngster out of her after all. You might try this to get her going again. I will let you know if she lays this time around.

Randy

 

[crbrumbelow]

I heard that can happen. Its a hormone thing. Maybe what I need to do.

 

[Skyeking]

I have an "elderly" couple, and she stopped laying, but I will give her a dummy egg or two so she can start the process just to keep them busy. However, they also have successfully hatched and raised babies from other couples, when I replace the dummy egg with the real one.

 

[hillfamilyloft]

I am going to try the couple again to see if she will lay again. I am hoping for two eggs this time. I would like to get a few youngsters off her. She is off a daughter of a National Bourges winner against 13k birds. I am thinking she could strengthen my sprint birds. I will keep you posted. The baby that I fostered out was the third egg under the foster pair. The baby was the smallest of the three. I took one of the larger youngsters and fostered it out under a pair that had a single baby. Hopefully it will grow up healthy.

Randy