Pack-Chickens?

[rhotes]

Yesterday I had left a plastic chip-clip on the roof of the coop, which is securely located within the pen. This morning it was INSIDE the coop, in one of the nesting boxes. Is it possible one of the chickens actually took it and relocated it to the next box, sort of like a packrat?

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

My chickens love to peck at things, pick them up, run around with them, and they end up all over the place. I wouldn't say they are pack-chickens, just playful, curious, little things

 

[rhotes]

Huh. Then I guess that's exactly what happened! Thanks for sharing your experience. They are SUCH funny little girls. And you're right, as curious as the day is long. I've just never seen them pick up and carry an object other than a grape or strawberry or orange section. Aren't they great? I love keeping chickens!

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

I used to leave marked eggs in the nest boxes to encourage the hens to lay there. The hens took these eggs from one nest box and put them in another. To do this they'd have had to lift the egg up a good few inches and get it over the lip of the box and place it in the next box. The nest boxes were a few inches apart too. I've no idea how they managed it, but they did! I kept threatening to put a security camera in the coop so we can see what they get up to when we turn our backs.

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Hello and welcome from Ohio....so glad you joined BYC. Looks like you have your answer to the "magic chip clip". Chickens are the greatest

 

[gryeyes]

I know how they do it because I've seen one of my broody hens move her eggs OUT of her nest box (during summer) to the floor of the A-Frame coop, and then back again when the heat spell passed. She tucks an egg under her neck into her "bosom" of chest feathers, keeps her head tucked to hold it there, and steps over the nest lip.

I do have a photo of her with one egg - I will have to look for it. I posted it in one of my threads and in another asking the same thing: how do hens move eggs. (On my iPad, not my computer, or I'd find it and post it now...)

Anyway, chickens are remarkably resourceful for animals without hands!

 

[sumi]

I know how they do it because I've seen one of my broody hens move her eggs OUT of her nest box (during summer) to the floor of the A-Frame coop, and then back again when the heat spell passed. She tucks an egg under her neck into her "bosom" of chest feathers, keeps her head tucked to hold it there, and steps over the nest lip.

I do have a photo of her with one egg - I will have to look for it. I posted it in one of my threads and in another asking the same thing: how do hens move eggs. (On my iPad, not my computer, or I'd find it and post it now...)

Anyway, chickens are remarkably resourceful for animals without hands!

Thank you! Mystery solved

Now I wonder why they do it. If they're doing it to confuse me, it's working

I'd love to see that pic, if you can find it.

 

[rhotes]

Wow! That's pretty amazing!

 

[sourland]

With chickens a lot is possible - Sumi may be right in that they delight in confusing us. Welcome to BYC.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. I have had chickens for a long time and I still look forward to going out everyday because I never know what my girls will be into next.