Can someone please explain to me the process and length of time a Hen will sit on an unfertile egg?

My 16 year old GW hen has been in a psychological overload sequence since recovering from Aspergillosis and feeling loved and secure here.

She laid 3 eggs every month for the past 4 months. (Nov. thru Feb.) Prior to the February eggs, all she has done with the eggs is play hockey with them. With the February 18th. eggs she showed some interest in them and one made it through the hockey game. This one egg has become her daily obsession.

I had made an appointment for her to start Lupron injections, but we canceled for the time being, waiting to see if her going through the entire laying and sitting process might turn off the hormones.

Here we are almost 4 weeks later and she still adores her little egglett. She does not want to leave her sleeping cage. She will not perch to eat or drink, so I have put her dishes on the tray. I insist she leave the cage 8-10 times a day to poop. (She will not poop in her 30x40 sleep cage) But as soon as she does she's frantic until I let her go back to her sleep cage.

Yesterday I insisted she stay in her play cage longer than the usual 5 minutes. She knocked a play ball off one of her toys and proceeded to sit on that.

Help, I am clueless as to what's going on. Am I doing something wrong here? Is there anything I can do to get her back to normal? Did we trade one obsessive behavior(egg laying) for another obsessive behavior (egg sitting)? When will this end?

Have to add on: I have noticed in the last 4 days she will now come willingly to me to leave her cage. Prior to that I had to slide the tray out with her on it, to get her to leave the cage. Progress?

In my experience, let her sit on that egg for as long as she psychologically needs. She will grow tired of it and leave it eventually. This first time might take longer. You are doing well with getting her out to poop and eat if their is not a mate to feed her and she is allowing you to remove her. I have found that if you let them complete the cycle it will satisfy them mentally as well as physically.

I have an Umbrella Cockatoo that lays a little too regularly and sometimes she sits her eggs and other times she can't wait to get away from them. This year, of all years, has been especially bad, but I have high hopes next year will not be as bad. In fact, in retrospect, all my girls laid eggs this year - infertile of course! Hmmmm....

It sounds like she may be ready to abandon the eggs, if she is starting to leave the cage willingly. Generally, they will nest the eggs until they believe they should have hatched. I'm not sure about GW's gestational period, but for parrotlets that is 21 days.

GW incubation is about 27-28 days.
Jack

How's Kita doing Karen? Is she getting any less attached to her egg?

Camille, thanks for asking. It's getting better each day as she's becoming less broody. I wish this entire process was over, I miss my bird!!

She's away from her sleep cage more and more each day, without becoming frantic. She's starting to play again for short periods. But she still won't eat, unless she sitting on the floor of her cage with her egglet and food bowls.

But overall, I think I may be seeing the end of this soon.

What wondrous, perplexing creatures they are, eh? D'ya suppose we'll ever figure them out?

That's good Karen. I hope its over soon!

LOL, I told her last night it better be soon, or I was going to color that darn egg for Easter!

LMAO! I wonder what she would do?? I'm sure she would be petrified!