What was happening? One chook sitting on another one

[User395221]

I finally got around to replacing the bedding in my little girls' coop (it's been hot and I lost my helper so it went a bit longer than normal). Nice fresh wood shavings down. I decided not to use shavings in their nest boxes, but to use artificial grass. I quite like it because you can pick it up and brush the feathers (and any stray poo) off it.
Anyway, Lucy decided she doesn't like the new linings and she laid some eggs in the main part of the coop. Knowing she'd done that, I thought I'd check while I was in the run filling up the water. Opened the coop door....

Lucy was in the spot she'd laid in yesterday. Ok. But underneath Lucy was Pearl. Pearl is a tiny little Belgian D'Uccle (she's only about as big as my galah, she's really small), Lucy is a Black Copper Maran (maybe a cross, I can't remember, anyway she's full-sized, not bantam-sized). Lucy was on top of Pearl completely except for Pearl's head. Pearl didn't seem at all distressed. They both just turned and looked at me.
I moved the girls and Lucy had done an egg there.

What was going on? I know that hens can (pretend to) mount other chooks for whatever reason, but there didn't seem to be any rumpy pumpy going on and both chooks seemed quite relaxed. Lucy was just sitting right on top of her.

Any ideas?

 

[Pork Pie]

I'd imagine that the bird underneath had squirrelled her way under there. I've seen birds do the same in their favourite nesting box.

 

[User395221]

I'd imagine that the bird underneath had squirrelled her way under there. I've seen birds do the same in their favourite nesting box.

oh, that's interesting. They do pile up in the nest boxes (especially when they went clucky and they had eggs in there), but there's no space imperative or any reason I can think of why Pearl would go in underneath. It's not very hot (only supposed to be 29C today) but still too hot for "cuddles".
Pearl was acting a bit strangely, I think she was upset by the change of nest-box lining, she was sort of walking about inside the coop, jumping on the roost bar. I put Lucy's egg in the nest box and then Pearl went to sit there. Maybe Pearl is a bit put out by the change in nest box lining and she was looking for somewhere to do an egg and copying Lucy?

 

[Pork Pie]

I think your theory is correct. They sure can do some strange things, sometimes

 

[User395221]

It was really funny. When they looked at me it was just like I'd walked in on a French farce....
I hope Lucy gets used to the new liners. I have to go through the run to fetch things inside the coop (there's a door that opens to the nest box from the outside). They never seem to want to co-operate with my brilliant ideas.

 

[aart]

Try putting some shavings in the nests, then slowly let them go thin again.