Will Retired Hens still squat?

[Justicedog]

Hi, I've got 3 - six year old hens. Only one, Red, is laying. She won't squat for me. Suzie the Speckled Sussex, will periodically squat for me. Not regularly or every day, but every now and then, so I give her a good back rump and she'll shake it off. As far as I can tell, she's not laying. She's not laid for 9+ months. My 3rd six year old hen, an Americauna also hasn't laid in 9+ months, she won't squat for me either.

I don't understand why Suzie is squatting. I keep getting my hopes up that she'll start laying again, but I think she's just a tease.

I've got 5 - seventeen week chicks who are not squatting or laying for me either. However, I have finally got them so they'll come near me, so I consider that to be a big plus.

Will a retired hen squat?

 

[Jenessa_096]

Hmm, that’s an interesting question, ill be here as soon as someone replies. I’m curious too!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Hmm, maybe she still has some hormones circulating around, but not enough to actually get her to lay? Of my oldest group of birds (5 yrs) only the active layers still squat for me.

 

[aart]

Squatting is not always about fertility, it's also a submissive behavior.
Both can vary from bird to bird.
I wouldn't read too much into it.

 

[Dragonfly Farm]

Hi, I've got 3 - six year old hens. Only one, Red, is laying. She won't squat for me. Suzie the Speckled Sussex, will periodically squat for me. Not regularly or every day, but every now and then, so I give her a good back rump and she'll shake it off. As far as I can tell, she's not laying. She's not laid for 9+ months. My 3rd six year old hen, an Americauna also hasn't laid in 9+ months, she won't squat for me either.

I don't understand why Suzie is squatting. I keep getting my hopes up that she'll start laying again, but I think she's just a tease.

I've got 5 - seventeen week chicks who are not squatting or laying for me either. However, I have finally got them so they'll come near me, so I consider that to be a big plus.

Will a retired hen squat?

I can't answer the squatting question because I just don't remember what she did BUT my 12 year old Silver Wyandott had not laid for years when my neighbour got a young rooster. These two chickens NEVER saw each other but one fine day a man working at our place found a clutch of 14 eggs hidden under the bushes in our yard. She was a free ranger and my only chicken at the time. Simply the sound of that roosie making roosie noise prompted the thing to start laying again. It was insane. She laid an egg almost every day til the day she died.