Curious question...

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

I have a curious question about fellow chickens behavior when one is laying. We have 3 EE's and only one has been laying for about a month now. I think the others will start soon, but anytime she's laying they insist on being in the coop with her. Sometimes they even get in her space while she's laying, but they aren't attempting to lay....they're just being kind of annoying lol anyone else notice their hens stick together while laying?

 

[southwestclucker]

Mine often heckle whoever is laying.

9/9 editted to add photo (note that by the time I finished editing the photo, Tater Tot had jumped off the roost, into the box, on top of poor Floof)

 

[3KillerBs]

I have seen POL pullets watching the adult layers in the nests.

I suppose that they're learning what to do?

 

[Chicken lover1980]

I used to have a young rooster who would do this. He was very young and hadn't reached puberty enough to crow yet. He would follow his older sisters inside the nesting box and watch them. Another time I had a mature rooster who has never seen hens lay pass by a hen in the nesting box. He was completely mesmerized and stopped dead in his tracks and started to purr to her (i actually have the vid on my youtube lol!).

Although they are not laying they have an instinct that tells them something is going on. So they are probably just interested in it.

Ps I'm not a vet it's just a nickname!

 

[ChickyWhicky]

I noticed the same with some of my girls. Seems like if one is in the coop laying, there's at least another one who seems to be just in there with her. Sometimes watching, sometimes bugging her & sometimes what seems like aimlessly wandering around.

 

[maryn7]

Mine four POL pullets are in an out constantly while anyone else is trying to lay. I've got one that hasn't come online yet, but she stands on a roost and putputs while other sing the egg song. They're obsessed with the sudden things happening to all of them.

 

[GRAMGRAM97]

I have a couple that jumped in an already occupied nest. One was doing it because she wanted to start laying but was a chicken (pun intended) and didn't want to do it alone. A couple have done it because a hen in their favorite nest was taking too long. It's not happening too much any more because they're starting to get on schedules and the fraidy cat is getting just a little braver. The newest layers would always observe and be nosey. I had to put up a 12 inch "wall" a foot away from nests to keep curious ones from being so close. Now, only my busy body girl is at the nests taking count of the eggs, several times an hour.