Chicken throwing pine chips on her back

[KayP]

My newly laying 20 week old Red Star (sweetie-pie) does this weird (and kinda cute) little laying ritual. She crouches in her nesting box turning in circles, scratching, and throwing pine chips over her shoulder. I figure the first two behaviors are about preparing the nest for her egg, but throwing the chips doesn't seem to achieve anything (at least not to this human.) Any ideas?

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Probably doing the dust bath thing !!

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I've watched my brahma in one box and the orp in the one next to her. The brahma will sneak her neck over to the next box and steal shavings and toss them behind her! I think it's just part of nest making. If they pile it up around their fluffy butts it may keep drafts out...like when I throw a blanket over me. Who knows...

 

[peeboo]

sometimes when my hens lay in their boxes, they will pick certain debris out of the nest box and place it nice and neatly on her back, i dont know if that is for camoflage or what but it is indeed quite cute

 

[flakey chick]

Camoflauge. If she goes broody, she will need to blend in to her surroundings.

 

[KayP]

Camaflauge!! How do you like that?!! These things come so well programmed! What amazing little critters. Thanks, y'all.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Yeah, it tickles me when they do that. One solitary strand of hay is her cover. That'll do it. Silly chickens!

 

[WA23]

I just saw this for the first time this morning and was going to post the same question.

I figured it had something to do with covering up the eggs. Hopefully this does not mean she will go broody. It was a white leghorn that I saw do this and I am under the impression that they do not go broody too often.

 

[Cathryn]

I have had silkies not only put pine chips on their back, but dig holes in the pine and straw, lay flat, and hide out from me with as many as eggs as they can cover with their keels, wings, and neck. It is harder for them to get away with it since the barn was remodeled. LOL! Cath

 

[crazy hen quartet]

Huh, I wondered about that too... one of my EEs will get in the nesting box and throw straw up on her back. I didn't know what she was doing!