Do your hens create nice, tidy circular nests for their eggs?

tasymo

Songster
11 Years
Jul 24, 2008
200
2
132
Mulliken
I had no idea that hens would actually build a nest, but I've got one hen who spends alot of time fussing with the straw in the nest box and creates a lovely bowl shape with it. After she lays her egg, she seems to have some trouble breaking out of "nesting mode". She wanders around outside picking up bits of grass and sticks and puts them over her shoulders, for a few minutes before she starts pecking and scratching for food. Is this common? I've never seen any of my other five hens do that. The funny thing is, this is the least "feminine" of all my girls. For awhile I was afraid Harriette was a roo because she is much bigger and heavier that the others, and has a rather fierce, rooster-like face. I'm just curious if anyone else has hens who do this?
 
No. mine don't build any type of nest at all, they, for the most part lay in the nesting boxes but don't care about the nest. I would think they would care a little about where they lay, but they don't, but I love them anyway. I got EGGS!
 
My broody hens build lovely circular nests. The others really don't. But they all do the thing where they toss bedding over their backs after they lay. It's so cute!
 
Two of my black australorps spend a good time each day making deep circle nests in their nest boxes each day only to be messed up when the BO's go in to lay afterward. The BO's flatten everything back down & then lay so I have to go digging to make sure I get all the eggs.
 
Our BR's just scratch around in the pine shavings, sit a while (sometimes an hour or more) and then there is an egg....a MOST BEAUTIFUL EGG at that!
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We have 4 BR's, and 3 are laying, two every day, one now and then, (who gave us a 2 yolker once!) and one a freeloader so far.......mmmm?

And yes, we're new at this chicken stuff...delighted in each and every egg!
 
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Yes, my girls make circular nests out of the hay.
When I clean out the nestboxes I just stuff a bunch of hay in the box any ol' way. The first hen to use that box makes a nest to her liking.
 

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