Freaky deaky Rooster Dance?

[cluckcluck42]

The other day I was doing some shoveling and the rooster didn't know I could see him inside the coop from where I was. Well he starts burying himself in the shavings in the coop and doing some freaky deaky dance moves and kicking up shavings all over the place. Rubbing his face in the shavings, just generally getting down with it. The hens first started looking at him like he was crazy but then my special little hen, (she's a little slow) started getting down into it with him, burying into the shavings and throwing herself on her side and getting right up next to the rooster while he did the same weird dance.

Then a few minutes later I was done shovelling and came back to 5 of the pullets all down in a weird chicken pile and getting dirty, rolling around in the hay like little freakazoids. They looked downright ecstatic. The older, wiser Columbian Rock Reds were just walking around ignoring the festivities, one came up and started pecking a couple of feathers out of one of the hens and the hen didn't bat an eye.

What the heck were they doing? Is this normal chicken behaviour?


There's no way to put it delicately folks, I think I witnessed a chicken orgy.

 

[organicfoltzfamilyfarm]

Do they have access to a dust bath because it sounds to me like they were dust bathing in shavings lol.

I love how you explained it. I laughed a little bit.

 

[ChickenEllis]

Dust bath. Completely normal. One of my favorite things to watch.

 

[cluckcluck42]

Ohh well that makes sense!! It just seemed... so sexually charged!!! There seemed to be some bumping of uglies. :O

There's a little spot for dust bathing in the coop, chicken sized, I've seen them do it individually in there but it just was not the same thing, this was quite impressive, I wish I had my video camera on me!!

 

[organicfoltzfamilyfarm]

LMFAO bumping uglies. When you really think about it's funny.

 

[cluckcluck42]

Quote:
Well I think it's funny so I'm glad you share the sentiment!

While they were at it, I just kept thinking "Is this a normal behaviour or are my chickens really cracked?" (No bad pun intended!)

Watching them in the dust bath they don't get nearly as into it as they did in the shavings orgy. They worked themselves into a frenzy!

 

[gsim]

All mine are pullets but I have seen them do this in the litter. They like it best where the sun comes in a certain window. I used to have a dustbath in the coop in a shallow box, 1 ft x 2 ft. I am going to put one back in there. Also, I am adding one to the area under the coop as well for a rainy-day hangout for the chooks.