Buried egg???

[Peaguy]

No not thousand year old eggs szechuan style, but I went to th coop late this afternoon to give the kids some much needed and definately deserved (average 13-15 eggs a day for 2 months now)outside (in the run) time and some treats (cantalopue and fresh corn on the cob) ... collecting eggs I noticed one of the nest boxes had all the hay pushed to the back side so started nosing arond in it, found buried egg.? "Hmmmm"says I to myself, "Self, why would a chicken do this or was it a predator of some kind?" Self couldn't answer so we came inside to our friends at BYC knowing full well some brilliant behaviorist here will know the answer, So here we are my self and I waiting for the enlightenment to appear on our monitor.

Actually we are going to bed the alarm will be going off at 4:30 So we will both be here and check in tomorrow for requested wisdom

 

[patyrdz]

I would think that another hen was attempting to lay in the same nest and moved the bedding around. Or someone likes to take naps in the nest!

I hope this is the case and not a predator!!

 

[Peaguy]

I don't kid myself, this area is loaded with predators; yotes, coons possums and snakes of all shapes sizes and colors! But so far I have not had ANY problems in or around the coop

(knock on wood in my favorite manner) So I am assuming another hen as you suggested. This was the first and only time this has happened, so far, I just thought it odd and wondered what behaviour I was missing. They never cease to amaze me with some of the stunts they pull. Like yesterday when all 19 went for a dust bath in the same hole that ONE EE had dug out as her personal favorite dust bathing spot. It was quite a sight to see 19 birds all trying to cram into this one tiny spot as if that were the only patch of sandy soil in the entire 30x30 foot run. Even the two roos joined in and that was the first time I had EVER seen them dust bathe with the girls let alone with each other albeit one was on one side of the girls the other had carefully placed 17 hens between himself and BG my big RIR roo and definate flock master.

 

[Judy]

Roos love to dust bathe, but they don't like to admit it! It's like it lowers them in the pecking order.... It is a social activity, among other motives. Still trying to figure that out.

The egg was probably shoved aside by some hen who had vague notions of nesting. You have to hunt, or else put the egg in cold water to be sure it sinks....

I swear, these guys are worth keeping just to learn their behaviors. They are hilarious.