Good luck maybe??

[Katiedidnt58]

I have a camera in my chook house so I can keep an eye on what's going on. Often my chooks will come out from laying an egg, walk around the house and pick up either a feather or a piece of shavings, they carry it to the door and throw it over their shoulder before going out! Has anyone else seen their chooks doing this? It's like a person throwing salt over their shoulder for good luck! Does anyone know what this really means?

 

[ChickenEnthusiast]

They typically do this because they want to make a nest around there egg, although they tend to do this once they have already laid if you know what I mean, its hard to explain. But yes, this happens to most of us and is completely normal.

 

[Chookchicken]

People have mixed opinions for what it could be some think it’s a way to camouflage, others think it’s them building they’re nest. It’s a completely normal behaviour.

 

[aldarita]

I have often wondered what that behavior means. I've seen my hens doing it before laying an egg. I just wonder if this is an ancestral behavior they had way back that is still in their genes, I figure they are trying to hide themselves "covering" their backs to protect their nest from predators when they were in the wilderness. I see them thru HDTV cameras and they really spend a lot of time throwing stuff to their backs and they do it either when they are going to start laying again after a molt or when they are new layers

 

[aart]

Has anyone else seen their chooks doing this? It's like a person throwing salt over their shoulder for good luck!

I like this explanation!!

Does anyone know what this really means?

As others have said, it's some instinctual behavior about camouflage....often misapplied.