Odd behavior - at least to me!

[andycowboy]

I raised chickens a few years ago, and they didn't do this...at least not that I saw:



There are 6 hens - 3 RIR and 3 NHR - there, 9 weeks old. They have scratched a hole about 2" deep and 6" round. I was wathcing thme one day and figured they were going after bugs, since the henhouse floor is the ground. But, as you can kinda see, they laid down in the hole as if they were nesting!

I was working on the run earlier today, and after they got bored watching the human hit his thumb several times and get a little vocal, they went over to the hole, which was covered with hay, and scratched out all the hay, then laid down in it again! What the heck are they doing? Even though they're not laying yet, they know where the nesting boxes are....

I'm sure it isn't anything to cause concern...I'm just curious!

Have a great day, and God bless!

 

[artsy1]

they are trying to dust bathe................totally normal.

 

[andycowboy]

they are trying to dust bathe................totally normal.

That makes sense - a little part of my older-guy memory now remembers myother birds doing that, but the middle of NM is much dustier than this area of the TX Hill Country!

Thanks a lot!

 

[2008momof3]

Since they are doing it in that little patch of sunlight looks to me like they are sunning themselves My chicks will sprawl out on their sides with their wings out all crooked and flop over like they are dead the moment a small bit of sunshine hits them, lol.

 

[ChicKat]

Hi andycowboy----

Here is another consideration.... Not sure how warm Wimberly was when they were digging---but sometimes my chickens dig to get to touch the dirt (especially if it is slightly damp). I think they do it to cool off.

I guess the sunlight would cancel the cooling part, unless it was a little wetter there and easier to dig because it was beside the hardware cloth.

They look healthy and happy---so nothing to worry about. :O)