What is she doing???

[rachelrulz]

I found her at about 4 in the afternoon in a little hole in the bushes in my backyard. She was just squatting in there picking up leaves from the outside and throwing them into the hole. I thought that she would come out eventually. And 10 minutes later, I ran back outside because she was screaming and she's in the same spot, in the same position, but this time...with an egg underneath her! She doesn't like use the nesting boxes like the rest of the girls do. Is something wrong w/ her? Will she ever learn to use (and appreciate) the nesting boxes?

 

[chick4chix]

welcome to BYC Rachelrutz!

No, there is nothing wrong with your girl she just likes to lay her eggs in her dustbath bowl. A couple of my girls have laid eggs under bushes and once in the compost pile, but only when they couldn't get to the nest. You might want to try keeping her locked into the coop until later in the day (after the normal time she lays her egg) and once she has done that a few times, she might realize it's nice a private in there. My other question is how many nest boxes do you have? If there were other hens in the only nest box, that might be why too. You should have 2 nest boxes for every 8 hens. Good luck- she sounds cute, and a loud mouth when singing the "egg song" which sometimes sounds like a scream as you said. hahaha.

 

[nanawendy]

Yahooooo sounds like she found "her place". Some chickens just dance to a different drummer.....