chicken laying down on cold ground?

[dftkarin]

I have 4 chickens that hatched on 7/9/08 and I live in New England with no added light in my coop (and there are not many hours of light these days) so I kind of figure my chickens might not start laying until the days get longer in the spring. I'm new to chicken-ownership. This morning when I let them out of the coop one barred rock kept sitting on the cold ground - sort of like she was pooping, but she was on the ground - almost the way I imagine a chicken might look if there were laying an egg (not that I've ever seen a chicken lay an egg - so what do I know). Should I worry? The ground was cold and frozen-muddy and if she was going to really start laying - wouldn't she try in the privacy of the coop (where I have a little sidewards milkcrate-size box to make for a cozy spot)? Could she be constipated or something? Why would a chicken start laying on her tummy on the ground like that (not the contented napping-in-the-sun type settling down)?

 

[iajewel]

Chickens feet get cold.. they warm thier feet by either holding one foot up at a time to tuck it under thier warm feathers.. or they will lay down to warm them. This is natural and will continue untill the weather warms up.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree. I saw several of my girls laying on the ground in between the branches of the fig tree today. Just warming up the underside.