OK, I am embarrassed to admit I've never actuallly *witnessed* one of my hens laying an egg (and I spend a ton of time watching them!!) However yesterday I was hanging around the coop and one of my sultan hens (who probably couldn't see me standing there anyway due to her feathers in her eyes) was making some noises. I went to investigate and noticed my bantam BR roo circling around the area where they lay and then settling down for a second like HE was going to lay. Then he'd go up to the Sultan hen and circle her. She would then go to the same area, and lie down while he got in front of her, blocking my view. Then the other hen came in and took over for him, almost covering her with her body. It seriously looked like the rooster was encouraging her and the other hen was being her breathing coach or something!!!
The end result: a nice little sultan egg!
I haven't put a nest box in that coop yet since it's very new and I need to make one this weekend, so they are all laying in the corner of the coop under the ramp to the outside. The nice part is I was able to see what was going on. In my other coop you can't see in the nestboxes at all. Is this something that anyone else has seen happen? I thought the whole thing was very bizarre. I've only seen my production reds go into the nestbox, I hear the egg song and they come back out. No interaction with any of the other hens or roo during that time.
I haven't put a nest box in that coop yet since it's very new and I need to make one this weekend, so they are all laying in the corner of the coop under the ramp to the outside. The nice part is I was able to see what was going on. In my other coop you can't see in the nestboxes at all. Is this something that anyone else has seen happen? I thought the whole thing was very bizarre. I've only seen my production reds go into the nestbox, I hear the egg song and they come back out. No interaction with any of the other hens or roo during that time.
