Tidbitting hen- why?

[leighks]

In the past few weeks, I have caught my 2 year old red sex link hen Rosie tidbitting, and I’m wondering why?
She’s not the head hen (she’s the 2nd lowest ranking). She’s not acting broody and there are no chicks around (all chickens are 2 years old). She’s still laying 5-6 times a week. The flock has a rooster (but he’s currently separated from the hens due to his overmating tendency).
The other hens don’t go over to see what she has, and when I go over near her she stops tidbitting and eats the bug she was excited about. This is new behavior and I’m curious if it’s normal or why she might be doing it, if anyone has any thoughts...

 

[BarredRockMom]

I've had lots of my girls do that off & on. They get SOOOO excited about something that they can't stand it & have to let you know! I always love hearing how happy they are & talk back telling them how happy I am that they're enjoying their treat. Ahhh, one of my fav channels on chicken tv!

 

[chrissynemetz]

I've had a few girls tidbitting their yummy finds occasionally. And the others do seem to mostly ignore it.

 

[centrarchid]

I see similar tidbitting in relatively natural settings with immature birds. A group of related individuals will be foraging through an area in a spread out pattern where they talk to each other constantly using their little contact calls. When a bird encounters a small eat is says so and then consumes it. It the same same bird or another close by finds another item quickly then the call (not a tidbit call) is repeated causing the group to close down and sometimes move towards where the calls are made which increases as the rate of finding quality eats increases. If an individual finds a really good patch like a cluster of grasshoppers or and an hill producing a mating flight, then the tidbit call is produced causing flockmates to come quickly. The birds are related and call are honest.

Sometimes cockerels that are sexually mature will make the actual tidbit call to attract potential flock mates to a location that has eats or not. Those listening in seem to be evaluating the cockerels efforts but do not go to him every time as he may be of questionable quality.

 

[Shadrach]

I have hens that do this occasionally. Sometimes a possible reason is obvious such as a hen that has been sitting but been interrupted for one reason or another and lost her clutch.
I also see this when there are other broody hens in the group.
I have one hen who has never laid an egg in 7 years and is the lead hen in her group. There is a rooster and he's good, but she will still call other hens when she finds food from time to time.
I get the impression that the hormone balance in chickens is quite delicate and small environmental factors may influence this balance. I have absolutely no evidence to back this up I should point out.

 

[leighks]

Ok thanks, all good info to know. I just haven’t seen this behavior before and was curious the meaning behind it. My chickens teach me new stuff all the time!!