Apparently they want straw in their nest boxes.

[schmije]

We've been using wood chips in the nest boxes for a couple of years. We tried straw, but they kicked it all on the floor and laid their eggs in empty boxes. Well, last weekend we cleaned out the coops and put new wood chips in the nest boxes. DH brought a new straw bale out to the coop, and we spread part of it on the floor. He stacked the remainder of the straw in a corner. A couple of days later I noticed that there were perfectly round straw nests in each box. I wondered why DH had put it there until yesterday when he asked ME why I put straw in the nest boxes. Since neither of us did it, and nobody else has been in the coop since last weekend, we can only assume that the girls plucked the straw from the corner and made their own nests! Has anybody else had something like this happen? Maybe they're trying to tell us something.

 

[emys]

I use wood chips on bottom of nest box and straw on top. Wood chips absorb any that might break,and keep the straw from being easily kicked out. The straw is better for building and moving.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

That's weird!

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

When straw is available, ours have done that before - I thought they were just being birds and building a nice comfortable little nest to sit on and put their eggs in. Other birds build nests, so I just assumed chickens did to0 - if they have the building materials available

 

[specklesmom]

So they somehow moved the straw from the bottom of the coop into the nest boxes????

 

[schmije]

Quote:
The straw is stacked in the corner right beside the nest boxes. The stack is as high as the lower boxes, so they could have leaned out of a box and reached over to the straw. The box closest to the straw has more in it than the others, so that would make sense.

I never thought of chickens as nest-makers, but other birds do it, so why not?

 

[mtcookie]

I have two birds that are "practicing laying", meaning I should be getting eggs any day now. Today I caught one picking up straw from one side of the coop and taking it over to her nest. she did this over and over again till she finally sat down. Yet, still no egg LOL.

 

[gryeyes]

One of my hens has decided SHE needs decorating, right after she lays her egg, announces it to the world, and leaves the nest. She picks up bits of dried grass and tosses 'em onto her back. And then she struts down the walk, all gussied up.

 

[jojo54]

Quote:
I have one that does that too. Funny girls!

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Quote:
Maybe she's a Prada run way chicken...