Interesting behavior

[Stillplaysindirt]

I felt I needed to isolate this one hen, "Peaches", because she was soooo mean to the others. I will not tolerate "mean" in my Queendom. I know, I know! She's a chicken and some chickens do this. BUT, it's MY Queendom, my safe place. So, I'm building her a continual safe (isolation) place within the perch/house/yard area. Now, she can "be" with her sisters but she can't get "at them". While I was building this addition and divides, I stopped to watch her in her part of the house. I noticed she was calmly and purposefully picking up pieces of hemp (bedding) and putting them in the nest or on her own back. I had been building in their yard so I thought it maybe a stress behavior. The next day, the door to her part of the house was open to the rest of the run because I was there building and thought I could redirect her bullying behavior, if needed. (I was giving her supervised visitation.) Another hen went into the meany house, and was exploring the new addition. Then she began calmly doing the same thing. Picking up pieces of hemp and putting them in the nest and, mostly, on her own back. It looked like it was something she "needed" to do. And, very content doing so.

Other than being a meany, Peaches is one of my favorites. If I'm outside, and she's outside, she's right there with me.

Is there anyone else who has seen chickens putting things on their own backs? Or/And, knows what it's all about?

 

[OneToManyChickens]

I have seen one of my hens do this, mostly she was trying to find a nice sport to lay down for the night because the little devil refuses to roost. They mainly do this to make a nest shape or to make a more comfy spot to lay an egg.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's a nesting behavior. The best guess I've seen is it's an attempt at camouflage. They don't always do it in the nest though... I've seen a hen come out after laying and while in the run, start putting litter on her back for a few seconds before running off.