EE With Odd Sleeping Behavior

[hen-thusiast]

Our EE, who is definitely lowest in the pecking order, has some very odd behaviors when it comes to bedtime. She started it around six weeks old and she's been doing it for the last twenty weeks, so I think it's permanent. She likes to sleep under the other chickens. Not just her head, but she tries to get her ENTIRE BODY under the others. Some tolerate it and some just want a good night's sleep. The more polite ones stretch out their wing and kind of cover her and then she sticks her head under their breast.

It's actually pretty funny, and when she was still a chick, it was down right adorable. One night she was spying me from between the legs of the other EE (who is about twice her size).

Sometimes you panic when you count the chickens and you are missing one... until you figure out who she's sleeping under.

We already know this little chicken is quite the oddball. Anyone else have a chicken that does similar things at bedtime??

 

[Matt A NC]

I have a few that will tuck under others if they are getting pecked on. They don't stay under them long.

I have lots of extra perches for them to choose from so they can get away if they need too. If I see one being pecked when I am shutting them up, I will move them around myself.

Matt

 

[19Dawn76]

My red silkie, Popcorn, sticks her head IN the corner. When I go to count them she looks like she is being punished.

 

[hen-thusiast]

Quote:
That's funny! She's taking a timeout!

I think a storm scared her one night in the brooder and she crawled underneath someone for comfort and decided she liked it. She'll sleep like that all night. Her nickname is "chicken little" because in her world, the sky is always falling.

Sometimes I move her around to situate her between the more patient ones. They've got a bunch of perches, but only occasionally will one use a different one and she NEVER does.

I like the others are getting some training on being patient mothers.

 

[Uppity Peon]

I was watching them go to bed last night and this little EE pullet was moving along the perch, trying to tunnel under her neighbors. I thought she was wanting to trade places with her neighbor, but she tried it with the one on the right as well as the one on the left. She didn't get any cooperation, whatever it was she was trying to do.

 

[AmyBella]

Three of my birds played something we called "crush me in the corner" since they were a couple of weeks old. We always knew that it was bedtime when the ruckus started! It was like they were having a contest and the goal was to be on the bottom crammed into the corner. Seems like a pretty cozy place to be... They would dive under one another in a writhing, purring, sweetly cheeping heap until they crashed! It was adooooorable!

I only have two of these chickens now, and they mostly sleep on the perch, but I will catch them cuddling in the corner from time to time and Sweetie Pie occasionally sleeps right underneath her brother!

 

[hen-thusiast]

Yup - that's exactly what she does, she tries to tunnel. On a good night, she ends up under someone and on a bad night she only gets her head under the "covers". I figure she'll keep someone nice and warm this winter.

Thanks everyone!! I'm glad to know she isn't alone!!

AmyBella - if you happen to have a picture, I'd love to see it! That sounds so adorable.