Hen putting leaves, grass and feathers on her back??!!

[GC-Raptor]

One of my Golden Comets Bossy tosses twigs on her back after she lays. GC

 

[Schmay]

My broody silkie has just started doing this, (hence why I looked this up) also noticed she can be a little picked on too.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I have a hen who is ill right now who is doing this. She hasn’t laid an egg in about a week or so. I can’t figure out what’s wrong. I’m thinking it could be egg yolk peretonitis.

 

[Ricanstructed]

I have a BO and EE that do this every time they lay an egg. They are covered in shavings when they leave the nest.

Same here. Every time one of my golden comets lays an egg she does it. She's not broody at all though- lays an egg and leaves right away every time. Just caught her sneaking into the compost bin and saw her immediately do it when she hopped out then too. I knew she didn't lay an egg in there so I guess I can't truly correlate the behaviors now. So strange.

 

[MrsThousand]

I have a BO and EE that do this every time they lay an egg. They are covered in shavings when they leave the nest.

I have an EE That just started doing this when she hops down from her laying spot… One of my patio chairs. She will pick up a couple of leaves or grass strands and throw them on her back and then walk away. It’s so bizarre. My rooster is Only six months old and not the most romantic guy. I wonder if she’s trying to hide from him. Lol!

 

[Cluckapalooza]

Thanks all, quite glad to know she's not losing her tiny mind! I'll try and take a short film of it and post it up here - Has anyone any recommendations as to how I could get her to stop being so broody (apart from hatching a clutch!) She is annoying me as she sits on all the other eggs and half-cooks them by the end of the day - the yolks go clumpy! and I can't be up and down to the hen shed all day long.......
I've tried separating her and left her there with food and water for 3 days, but she goes right back to sitting....sigh!

Searched for this today and this 13 yr old post came up. I have a Marans, who doesn’t appear to be broody. Isn’t hanging out in the nest. Just lays an egg, screams out her song and goes back out in the yard. I noticed the last couple days she has been picking up leaves and tossing them on her back. She does think she is a hot chick.

 

[Mjrleeg]

Thanks all, quite glad to know she's not losing her tiny mind! I'll try and take a short film of it and post it up here - Has anyone any recommendations as to how I could get her to stop being so broody (apart from hatching a clutch!) She is annoying me as she sits on all the other eggs and half-cooks them by the end of the day - the yolks go clumpy! and I can't be up and down to the hen shed all day long.......
I've tried separating her and left her there with food and water for 3 days, but she goes right back to sitting....sigh!

Just saw this behavior for the first time in my flock. My little Silkie has been broody for the past couple of weeks. But this week when I have been pulling her out of the nesting box and placing her in the yard with the rest of the girls, she picks up twigs and leaves and puts them on her back while she’s walking around. It’s quite adorable. We don’t have a rooster, so that’s not at the root of her camouflaging behavior.

 

[Leo Tas]

Just saw this behavior for the first time in my flock. My little Silkie has been broody for the past couple of weeks. But this week when I have been pulling her out of the nesting box and placing her in the yard with the rest of the girls, she picks up twigs and leaves and puts them on her back while she’s walking around. It’s quite adorable. We don’t have a rooster, so that’s not at the root of her camouflaging behavior.

It’s not only chickens. The reason I’m here is because I was trying to work out what my Pekin ducks were doing.
The drake was standing next to the duck frantically putting leaves and grass on its back and decided to help but soon gave up. Funny to watch, nice to know it’s probably normal behaviour.