What's with this hen pushing the "eggs" out of the nest box?????

[SeaChick]

Our adopted EE, Penelope, has been acting kind of strange lately.

For one thing, if she sees me pick up or pet one of the other girls, she runs over and gives her a good hard peck!!!!! Now, this is not a hen who likes to cuddle, so I doubt it is jealousy. The other day one of the girls squatted and I pet her and Penelope ran over and pecked her hard and jumped on her back (like I imagine a rooster would...) What the heck?!?!?

But the most bothersome thing is this:
One day last week I found one of the fake eggs on the floor. I assumed my daughter had done it and put it back in the next box. (The day before, I had found Penelope's blue egg on the floor, not in the nest box. I was surprised as she always lays in the box.)
Yesterday I watched Penelope go in, out, in, out of the next box a dozen times and finally -plop!- the fake egg came falling out. She got it up over the lip of the box and everything. Then she went into the other nest box, arranged that box's fake egg under her, and laid her egg calmly. This morning, though, the last fake egg was on the floor.

I removed the fakes, since by now the girls all know where to lay. But I am worried about Penelope's weirdo behavior. Does anyone know what is up with her?!?

Thanks
Stacey

 

[Arklady]

I would say Penelope knows which eggs are fake. I sometimes find eggs my chicken pushed out of the nest and when I try to incubate it thinking she had too many I find it won't hatch. Also non-growing eggs are cooler than live. So they know when eggs are dead.

Interesting I thought.

Arklady

 

[rooster-red]

My hens seem to be tired of the fake eggs, they push them all out!

They've never pushed a real egg out, so I just put the fake eggs away for now, since they are telling me they don't want them anymore.

 

[Catalina]

I've had the same weird behavior with one of my chickens, Lavender. Whenever I pet another hen Lavender comes running over and jumps on the other girls back or gives her a hard peck.
I thought she was jealous, because she loves to be picked up and cuddled, but maybe it's a pecking order thing? Lavender is the first one in and out of the coop - so maybe she's the boss?
Although she's 1/2 the size of the other girls!

 

[Arklady]

If no other hen comes running and pecking the other chicken it is likely that she is the dominant hen and will show her superiority in the flock dynamics.

You may not have a preference in the flock but its obviously she does.

Arklady

 

[CovenantCreek]

It almost sounds like Penelope thinks of herself as dominant to you -- thus the "scolding" she gives the others for being submissive to you.

 

[SeaChick]

It almost sounds like Penelope thinks of herself as dominant to you

Oh no, do you think? She definitely does the submissive squatting thing, though.... I just walk in the coop and she does it!! That doesn't sound like she thinks she's dominant though...​

 

[SeaChick]

Should I "peck" her when she pecks the others, like maybe a roo would to put her in her place?

I'd rather she was my friend, not scared of me, but if it will restore order in the little flock I'll do it. She's getting really mean towards the others suddenly.

Thanks

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Do rubber chickens come from rubber eggs?! Just kidding, Stacey all my hens do the squatting tap dance thingy when I get around them and the pecking seems to be jealousy to me, at least I have some that do that because they want to be held when I am holding another. Hang a head of cabbage on a bungee so some can have other things to do while you pet the others, distraction does help alittle. They really are just like kids!! Darlene