shavings on back . . . what does she think she's doing?

[frankenchick]

Bianca, my 23 w/o NH, has been laying well -- usually an egg 5/7 days. But she does this funny thing: whether she's laid an egg or not, she'll sit in the nest box (tho not always the same one she laid in) and carefully lay wood shavings on her back. It's comical because it looks so deliberate.

Is this a broody thing?

 

[devora]

Our Turken did something like that, but then there was no egg! It was as if she were going to lay, but then she didn't. We use straw, not shavings, but she picked up pieces and gently tried to put them behind her. Many ended up on her back.

 

[aran]

hey thats what our only laying hen does too!

 

[Pine Grove]

lol all hens do this

 

[chickenwoods]

Yep,All my hens sit in thier nest and gather straw,and throw it over their shoulders,some ending up on thier back.Mine usually do it before they lay thier egg.

 

[aran]

that is weird...i wonder why they do that.

 

[eggcetra_farms]

That's just nesting. They're making their little nest to lay their egg in. It's where the "nesting" term for pregnant women comes from. Why they do it and don't lay an egg, however, I'm not sure. I've had mine sit there for over an hour making a perfect little nest and never lay an egg. Who knows? Chickens are strange.

 

[silkiechicken]

You know how women get PMS once a month, for chickens that PMS must be the straw tossing... but daily.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
They are making a nice cushion for the egg to land on.

 

[frankenchick]

Bianca never did lay her egg in the box; I found it in the 10x10 pen when I went out this afternoon.

I think I'm going to have to leave them all in the coop on the days I sub so she has access to the boxes all day. Days off, I spend a lot of time down there letting them roam.