Have you ever wondered what chickens do in their free time? Well, chickens aren’t as mindless as you think. In this series, I’ll discuss some interesting things that chickens do and why they do it. I hope you enjoy my very first article. I worked hard on it!
Chickens Cover Themselves in Bedding While Laying Eggs
Prediction: Chickens aren’t as domesticated as you think. No matter how hard you try, chickens rely on their instincts to get around (which is probably why chickens cross the road to get to the untouched grass and leaves!) So based on this logic, when I saw my oldest hen, Sto, start covering herself with her nest’s bedding, I predicted that she was trying to camouflage herself to hide from predators. My parents were renovating the pen and were making a lot of noise so it makes sense that she would be stressed. Another theory I made is that it was to keep herself isolated. Sto was in the middle of molting and was basically naked. She only had feathers on her stomach, head, and her tail so I assumed that she was just trying to keep warm. I feel that the first theory about camouflage is most likely to be true, but I guess we will find out together!
The Truth: According to the blog, My Pet Chicken, “This is a nesting behavior. Hens that are broody will often do this when settling into the nest, and occasionally hens who are not broody will do it before or after laying. In nature, having little bits of the surrounding grass, leaves, and other detritus covering her would help to keep her camouflaged from predators by breaking up her silhouette.” So, the first theory is correct! Chickens will cover themselves in their bedding for camouflage to hide from predators in her vulnerable moments. Thanks for reading the first article for my Fun Chicken Facts series!
Chickens Cover Themselves in Bedding While Laying Eggs
Prediction: Chickens aren’t as domesticated as you think. No matter how hard you try, chickens rely on their instincts to get around (which is probably why chickens cross the road to get to the untouched grass and leaves!) So based on this logic, when I saw my oldest hen, Sto, start covering herself with her nest’s bedding, I predicted that she was trying to camouflage herself to hide from predators. My parents were renovating the pen and were making a lot of noise so it makes sense that she would be stressed. Another theory I made is that it was to keep herself isolated. Sto was in the middle of molting and was basically naked. She only had feathers on her stomach, head, and her tail so I assumed that she was just trying to keep warm. I feel that the first theory about camouflage is most likely to be true, but I guess we will find out together!
The Truth: According to the blog, My Pet Chicken, “This is a nesting behavior. Hens that are broody will often do this when settling into the nest, and occasionally hens who are not broody will do it before or after laying. In nature, having little bits of the surrounding grass, leaves, and other detritus covering her would help to keep her camouflaged from predators by breaking up her silhouette.” So, the first theory is correct! Chickens will cover themselves in their bedding for camouflage to hide from predators in her vulnerable moments. Thanks for reading the first article for my Fun Chicken Facts series!
