Little thief!

[HeatherB]

While in the barn for a little clean-up time, I noticed my two red hens had shoved themselves into the everybody-wants-to-use-THIS-one nest box together. Of course, I left them alone and went about my business. A little later, one of the girls stood up... I saw her take a nice, long stretch before she loudly announced her accomplishment. While Spot was singing, I somehow had the good luck to see Not-Spot (my daughter named them!) reach over between Spot's feet, grab her friend's new masterpiece, and roll it under herself. Spot finished her noise-making, jumped down, and headed back outside.

Not-Spot, of course, then finished her business, and promptly followed her friend outside. Apparently it wasn't an 'I want to sit on that one' deal.

I'd never seen them do that before (or get in there together to lay for that matter), but it was definitely an entertaining sight.

So, my question to the resident chicken psychologists, what the heck was that about?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Ha, a couple of years ago, I had 3 hens share the same box & keep stealing each others eggs, until most of them hatched. I would gather the hatched chicks every 2 days, put them on the floor, & kick out a hen to care for them. It worked well, but all along, I expected total failure on this hatch. I got about 20-25 chicks out of the community hatching!

 

[tuesdays chicks]

mine do that, it seems to be why they all lay in the same box they sit on the other eggs till their egg gets laid, she was just pulling it to what she considered the nest, my bantam brahma will lay her egg 1st and sit on it till the bo hen lays her egg (same box) and then sit on both of them till she is ready to get up.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Quote:
wow I was trying to get my 1st broody who came off my nest to take care of the black chicks but she wouldn't go near them. maybe I'll try again probably too late.

 

[Judy]

What it's about is broody behavior. They collect eggs -- they don't care whose, and as you saw, are quite capable of moving them anywhere they want. (I've never actually seen one doing this -- how interesting!) Wonder if in time she will go really broody on you.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Mine get in a nest box where someone else has laid and pull the egg in under their breast and get all comfy. I just found 3 eggs under Petunia...she really didn't want me 'stealing' her eggs but don't think she is broody...she screamed at me but no pecking or ruffling of feathers. She likes to chill in the nest box after she lays...I let her when there are no backups waiting with their legs crossed!

 

[MaineChick]

Too funny.

One of my broody hens will steal any eggs she can get her hands - er, beak and claw - on. It made it hard to know which were hers and when they'd been laid, even though I tried to mark them as best I could. She ended up hatching 3 within 24 hours, continuing to set on the rest and hatching out 4 more 2 days later. All are fine and all grown up now.

Even funnier - I have two chickens named Max and NotMax. And my husband and I named them, sort of, not a child! Max got named, and there were two Speckled Sussex so we kept saying things like, "Is that Max? No, that's not Max". So...

 

[HeatherB]

It's good to know she's not just a klepto-hen.

I don't think she's broody, she doesn't show any interest in sitting there long.. I thought she was just being greedy! I wouldn't mind broody, though, even sort of hope she's headed that way. I need a few new fuzzy things around the house!

Quote:
I love it! She named Spot because she (of course) has a spot. I kept pestering her to name the other, so she became Not-Spot. I actually liked the name, too!