Nesting box comfort

[KyCoop]

One of my girls starting laying on Saturday. She gave me another egg yesterday and she is currently in the next box laying today. I noticed her picking up shavings and putting them on her back. Would she prefer straw in the box to cover herself or are the shavings enough? Oh and sorry while we are talking about her laying, I thought LH were non setters. I'm watching her gather the fake eggs under her and putting more shavings on her back. Also, I will be adding privacy curtains as soon as the weather breaks. Sorry for the ramble but I'm new.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

One of my girls starting laying on Saturday. She gave me another egg yesterday and she is currently in the next box laying today. I noticed her picking up shavings and putting them on her back. Would she prefer straw in the box to cover herself or are the shavings enough? Oh and sorry while we are talking about her laying, I thought LH were non setters. I'm watching her gather the fake eggs under her and putting more shavings on her back. Also, I will be adding privacy curtains as soon as the weather breaks. Sorry for the ramble but I'm new.

Leghorn are typically nonsetters, but rarely one does decide to set

 

[NatJ]

One of my girls starting laying on Saturday. She gave me another egg yesterday and she is currently in the next box laying today. I noticed her picking up shavings and putting them on her back. Would she prefer straw in the box to cover herself or are the shavings enough? Oh and sorry while we are talking about her laying, I thought LH were non setters. I'm watching her gather the fake eggs under her and putting more shavings on her back. Also, I will be adding privacy curtains as soon as the weather breaks. Sorry for the ramble but I'm new.

Chickens act that way when they're on the nest to lay an egg. It's normal.

Even non-setters have some of the instincts: find a good place, sit there and make a nest, tuck all available eggs neatly underneath while you're sitting there, then lay your egg and get on with life.

The non-setting breeds just skip the next step, which is to go broody and stay on the nest 24/7 until eggs hatch. (I'm having trouble with what breed "LH" is an abbreviation for.)

I don't think she's trying to cover herself with the shavings. I think she's trying to arrange them into a nest by putting them all around herself, but she's not doing a very good job of it Yes, shavings should be fine.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

(I'm having trouble with what breed "LH" is an abbreviation for.)

LH=Leghorn

 

[KyCoop]

OK She laid her egg and came off the nest. Well, then I'm proud of her for keeping the "eggs" that were in the nest "warm" while she laid hers.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Would she prefer straw in the box to cover herself or are the shavings enough?

If she is laying in the nest, she is laying in the nest. Don't screw it up by changing things.

I'm watching her gather the fake eggs under her and putting more shavings on her back.

As Nat said, that's just hens laying eggs typical behavior. Don't read too much into it.

I will be adding privacy curtains as soon as the weather breaks.

If she is laying in the nest, she is laying in the nest. Don't screw it up by changing things.

 

[3KillerBs]

If she is laying in the nest, she is laying in the nest. Don't screw it up by changing things.

I definitely agree. Don't fix what isn't broken.

I find their efforts to make their nests just right cute.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The throwing shavings/straw on their backs is possibly a vestigial attempt at camouflaging themselves on the nest. Some of my birds do it some of the time, I've had a couple throw litter on their backs after coming out into the run after laying as well.

The gathering the eggs in the nest box is normal, most of my birds (if not all) do that upon settling down somewhere to lay. It's not an indication of broodiness.

 

[KyCoop]

Thank you all. She is the first of 8 to lay. I'm sure I will be back asking another crazy question when the others start too.