My four pullets have just started laying (5 eggs in the last 7 days). This morning around 9AM I heard a terrible cackling noise from the tractor, THREE chickens howling "bokbokbrGAWK!" at the top of their lungs. It was so loud, the dogs got freaked out and started barking! Quite a ruckus, let me tell you.
I went outside to see what was going on. One chicken (Harriet) was in the coop, fussing with her nest. She was literally picking up individual wood shavings and moving them around, one by one.
Out in the enclosed run, the other three hens were strutting around singing the egg song. No eggs, mind you!
I work from home, but this was way too funny to pass up. I pulled up a chair and sat for HALF AN HOUR watching them. The other three hens settled down and went back to eating grass. Meanwhile, Harriett was still fussing with the nesting material, doing Chicken Feng Shui. (I thought about asking her if she wanted a newspaper to read, or something.)
About every ten minutes while she was in there, the other three hens would stop what they were doing and freeze. They seemed to be listening to Harriet shuffling around in the coop. Then they would all start with the egg song again! I had to plug my ears, it was so loud.
After half an hour of this, Harriet finally laid her egg. She had shuffled all the bedding out from underneath her, so I heard the egg clunk on the floor of the coop.
Then you know what she did? She clucked and burbled quietly, then walked out of the coop as if nothing had happened. And none of the other hens said a word.
I don't think they really understand how this is supposed to work. First YOU lay an egg, then YOU make a tremendous racket. They seem to think it's more like cheerleading. "Go, Harriet! PUSH!!!"
I went outside to see what was going on. One chicken (Harriet) was in the coop, fussing with her nest. She was literally picking up individual wood shavings and moving them around, one by one.
Out in the enclosed run, the other three hens were strutting around singing the egg song. No eggs, mind you!
I work from home, but this was way too funny to pass up. I pulled up a chair and sat for HALF AN HOUR watching them. The other three hens settled down and went back to eating grass. Meanwhile, Harriett was still fussing with the nesting material, doing Chicken Feng Shui. (I thought about asking her if she wanted a newspaper to read, or something.)
About every ten minutes while she was in there, the other three hens would stop what they were doing and freeze. They seemed to be listening to Harriet shuffling around in the coop. Then they would all start with the egg song again! I had to plug my ears, it was so loud.
After half an hour of this, Harriet finally laid her egg. She had shuffled all the bedding out from underneath her, so I heard the egg clunk on the floor of the coop.
Then you know what she did? She clucked and burbled quietly, then walked out of the coop as if nothing had happened. And none of the other hens said a word.
I don't think they really understand how this is supposed to work. First YOU lay an egg, then YOU make a tremendous racket. They seem to think it's more like cheerleading. "Go, Harriet! PUSH!!!"
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