Hen putting leaves, grass and feathers on her back??!!

[ampho]

Thanks for posting the info! I just saw my buff doing this with the other chicken's feathers just before she went into the next box, cute, but pretty inefficient as the feathers just fell off her back as she was walking! They are entertaining!

 

[kculbert]

So glad I found this thread! I forced my broody silkie out of the nesting box and watched her run around the yard throwing pine needles on her back. I thought she had gone crazy!

 

[silkielover300]

My little white silkie is throwing the shavings on her back. She has 5 newly hatched babies and just started doing it. Glad to know she is just trying to build a nest.

 

[sabentley]

Hi, i'm new to raising chicken (got my first flock of 7 golden comets 6 days ago). Had to look this behavior up because one of my hens was picking up grass and putting it on her back. This concerns me beause i found an egg in their yard this morning....the three that are laying have consistently laid in the nesting boxes so i thought maybe one of the younger hens had laid her first egg, but now i'm wondering if it's one of the more mature ones thats trying to make her own nest outside. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[rsneddon10]

One of ours does that when she's getting ready to molt or is molting.

 

[Blodg]

I have only 2 Wyandotte hens. One is extremely loud and annoying the other is what I would say "different". She is making purring sounds like a cat, likes to be pet on her back, sneaks in the house to eat dog food and recently found her trowing leaves and pine needles on her back after laying. What is this all about? Or is my chicken just missing a screw or two?

 

[Cubzwin1908]

Glad to hear my Paisley isn't just a kook. She waits until after she lays....does her appropriate announcing to the world about it and then takes off across the yard (free ranged) stopping every few feet to pick up grass and throw it on her back as she makes her way. I notice several people have mentioned their EE do it. That's what she is too. I like to think she is patting herself on the back. : )

 

[combatfuzzball]

Just got my first egg from my EE hen Honor. She was standing over her egg and placing litter very carefully on her back. Glad this post explained what it was.

 

[Chickassan]

My Bea-Bea just about drowned herself this morning trying this silliness! I had her in a pan of warm water cleaning her bottom and she laid an egg during the bath, there are no leaves in the bath. Poor girl isn't my brightest bulb.She's had egg problems for a few days, she's an easter egger but day before yesterday she laid a white egg, yesterday no egg at all.This morning she wasn't doing well so I rubbed her belly and she expelled a shell less egg.I promptly drew a pan of warm water to tidy her up and not five minutes in boom a normal egg and a hen snorting water.Having chickens is definitely not intended for sane people.

 

[KWVT]

I know this is an old thread, but I just searched because I’ve got a Wyandotte doing this. Interesting! She’s definitely not broody as I think she laid her first egg yesterday, but I’ve seen her twice now sticking hay and shavings on her back while going in and around the nesting box.