Chicken Memorials

[Annabel]

Following on from a previous post where I explained that my top hen stopped laying (being old) and after a few days of realising her daily egg was not coming, decided to forever after take a trip to the nesting box and sit there for an adequate 'egg laying period' and then re-emerge... Beantree stated that her chicken (also old and a top hen did the same).

So, is it possible that these hens try to hold onto the top spot when elderly, by pretending that they still lay to avoid cascading down the ranks?

Has anyone else out there got a top hen that has resumed sittin in the nesting box day after day following  first an absence of visits when her egg laying stopped?

Be really interesting to see.....

[Luvachicken]

Both of my older girls, Gemma almost 9 and Molly who is 5, often like to sit in the nest box for a while and produce nothing, although Gemma has produced 2 eggs this year and Molly does still lay.

They are both top girls above the chicks.

No idea why they do it though. 

[mullethunter]

I don’t have a top hen who does this (she still lays aged 8), but one of my bottom 2 does exactly this. She’s only a year old - she laid a few eggs in her first autumn when she was about 6 months old, but since then just two wind eggs and nothing else.

She routinely goes and sits in the nest box and gets very upset if she gets kicked out.

[percy049]

Yes I've had some that have done this 😂

[Annabel]

It is very interesting isn't it.  I do think they may be pretending to keep their status as I'm guessing in the wild perhaps those that didn't raise chicks by producing fertile eggs may have been considered as little use and attacked?

So it looks like it isn't necessarily the top hen but also those lower down - anyone not wanting to be found out as barren!

[Cat tails]

I think that might be overthinking it a bit. I don’t think hen community life is that advanced that other hens consider a hen “useless” because she isn’t rearing chicks.

A chicken doesn’t need an extensive flock to rear chicks. 

In my flock, the broody hens actually get nocked from top positions.

[Annabel]

Have you experienced a hen continuing to use the nesting box?  And what are your thoughts Cat tails on the possible reason?

[Cat tails]

Nope, no pretend layers here. Sometimes Truus and Merel might visit the nest box too often, but that is mostly just before they go broody.

[Beantree]

We have a regular 'claim to be laying' here. Top hen takes the pot egg out of the coop and puts it in the nest box then comes out proclaiming to have laid. When one of her daughters lays she throws them out of the nest box and sounds out to claims the egg is hers. Quite possible that this is hierarchy behaviour, but one not documented anywhere I have seen.

Chickens are complicated. Underestimate them at your peril.

[Daphne]

Intereresting Beantree, and Annabel, thanks for posting.  I strongly believe that good husbandry comes from observation and knowing your own birds, and you two obviously do!  I would agree it sounds like top hen continuing to show her dominance.  Are both these hens in the company of a cockeral or not? 

[Annabel]

Mine is not with a cockerel, however her very bossy second in command often looks to rule the roost but a careful eye will see that it is the older hen that was top hen (when she was feisty and laying) and is still top hen now (though more of a silent top hen)- only pecking the bossy second in command very rarely (to which second in command will drop right down).  Top hen gets best shouts on food etc.

Recently introduced some new rescue ex-caged hens and as they did not know the pecking order, they mistook bossy second in command to be the top hen as she was sizing up to them, heckles out etc and only then did the real top hen start to become properly aggressive towards the second in command by pecking hard at her feet every time she tried to take on the new comers.

Just now, Annabel said:

Mine is not with a cockerel, however her very bossy second in command often looks to rule the roost but a careful eye will see that it is the older hen that was top hen (when she was feisty and laying) and is still top hen now (though more of a silent top hen)- only pecking the bossy second in command very rarely (to which second in command will drop right down).  Top hen gets best shouts on food etc.

Recently introduced some new rescue ex-caged hens and as they did not know the pecking order, they mistook bossy second in command to be the top hen as she was sizing up to them, heckles out etc and only then did the real top hen start to become properly aggressive towards the second in command by pecking hard at her feet every time she tried to take on the new comers.

I meant to say- the second in command acts a bit like a cockerel!  That was the point!

 

[Cat tails]

It’s often the lower ladder hens that put up the biggest fight to new comers as they see a possibility to rise the ladder. A real top hen doesn’t really rear up etc, but just hand out the occasional peck that ends all discussion. 
It’s my low ranking Gerda that is still sometimes making life difficult for my new comers.

[Annabel]

I too have never found any documented statements regarding this chicken laying (or phantom laying behaviour) online at least - after many hours of searching.  It does feel that this is a deliberate and dare I say it 'thought out' act of fooling and it is great to see others coming forward with similar experiences. Esp what Beantree wrote.  That is very clever.

Yes I had noticed that when they finally got introduced properly that the younger, lower down ones had more to gain so really fought to not be stuck at the bottom.  I do love chickens and their social lives!