# Hen fooling me she has layed an egg!! you had this??



## stu-hens (Jul 18, 2012)

I have 6 hens 3 2nd year year hybrids and 3 youngsters.The older hens have been molting and not well so not laying,youngsters laying regular as clockwork.
Funny thing is the goldline hen who has been molting is fooling me...........she goes into the nestbox and comes out cackling as though she has layed only for me to go and look thinking she has come back into lay to find no egg!! 
She has been doing this for about a week now and as im at work and dont get much chance to see whats going on i have been worried she has perhaps been laying soft eggs and got a taste for them,however spent the day cleaning out coop and in the garden today and sure enough went in and spent a good while in there only to come out and no egg........i am confused she is not at all broody not sitting on the others eggs just goes through the motions without actually producing an egg

Anyone ever had this?


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

Oh gosh yes!! The cackling can make you nuts, especially when all the others pick up and do it too!! She isn't laying an egg, but going through the motions, including the after egg cackle.

This is common, especially in the periods when they don't lay, she's practicing or keeping in practice.


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## stu-hens (Jul 18, 2012)

Thats ok then i hadnt seen any of my hens doing it before,whats an average time for molt to last and stop laying for a hybrid as its been 8weeks now and she keeps pretending!


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