Fighting over fake eggs?

Happy Chooks

Free Ranging
Premium Feather Member
14 Years
Jul 9, 2009
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Northern CA
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My Coop
My light brahma HAS to lay her egg in a box that already has an egg. (whether real or fake) She has NEVER laid her egg in an empty box.

So I go up to check for eggs and I have 3 girls in different boxes. My EE laid her egg while I was waiting, but then settled back down on the nest. My LB came over and climbed on top of her and they proceeded to play tug of war with the eggs. My LB would reach under her and pull the egg out so she could lay on it. Then when she turned around my EE would pull it back under her.

I guess she was unsatisfied that the EE wouldn't leave the nest so she could have it, so she went over and started harassing my RIR who had my BO egg under her. Then my BR would join in and both of them were pecking my poor RIR(she's the lowest on the pecking order). They wouldn't leave her alone, but she wasn't giving up the nest either. So finally, I opened the door to the boxes and reached under my EE and pulled a fake egg out from her and tossed it in one of the empty boxes.

My LB went and sat on her fake egg, happy as a clam. No further fighting.


I've never seen them do this before. Do your chickens fight over boxes and eggs?
 

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