Egg Laying... IN MY LAP??

[OlyChickenGuy]

I guess the first thing I should throw out is that I train chickens professionally, and I treat my chickens more as pets than backyard egg machines. I have two roosters and three hens - no problems aggression-wise or with my hens being over-mated. One of the roosters is a bantam mutt, and just can't seem to get a grip on the standard-sized girls, and has given up trying to mate them.

Anyway, I have one girl - her father was a Welsummer and her mother a Blackstar ( 1/2 Rhode Island Red, 1/2 Barred Plymouth Rock ) - and she has decided that MY LAP is the perfect place to lay eggs! This is the FOURTH TIME she has decided to lay an egg in my lap! She'll leap out of her coop, fly across my room, jump up on my bed, run across and burrow into my lap, then she goes trance-like anywhere between a couple of minutes and about an hour, making cooing noises, and then there's an egg! She'll sit in my lap for a little while longer while I pet her and tell her how good she is, then she's ready to go back into the coop.

I've heard of chickens laying in a person's favourite recliner chair, right on the kitchen counter, in front of the door on the porch, and in many other areas that seem to be close to their humans... but never have I heard of having an egg laid in someone's lap! As endearing as this behaviour is, should I discourage it? Has anyone else had a hen that insists on being in their lap or at least very near them to lay their egg?

 

[BrattishTaz]

I must admit this is the first time I have heard something like this. It is nice to know that I am not the only one with odd birds. (My roo rides on the hood of my car while holding onto the windshield wipers.

)

It is up to you if you want to encourage this. I imagine it could be quite a surprise if you ever have company over and she get the "urge" to lay.

 

[OlyChickenGuy]

Well, my friends all know me as the chicken guy... well... the whole city of Olympia, Washington knows me as "The Chicken Guy"... and they all know my chickens well-being and happiness takes precedent over people. People can make their happiness wherever they choose, at any animal's expense, but animals depend on us and how we treat them for their happiness. That being said, I don't think anyone would think it too strange if one of my chickens took a dive for my lap! Many of the local businesses even know me and my chickens, and let us all come in - including the roosters. Especially the roosters!

Frankly, my roosters are more well-behaved than my hens at this point! Well... one cock, one cockerel, and three pullets, though one's about to become a year old here pretty soon and the other two will follow shortly. The tiny-cock ( as my friends call him ) will be a year in summer.


Now, if you want odd birds... The eldest, the big rooster, is believe it or not... a service animal! When he was about five months old he began making a noise very distinctly different from any other noise he made which seemed to coincide with me becoming panicky. I have almost entirely avoided anxiety and panic attacks since he started doing this, "alerting" me to the mounting panic, and he even rides the handlebars of my bike, keeping me safe while riding, too! Most people in Olympia that know me and my chickens know him, since he's out most often with me due to his ability to alert. Too bad the service animal laws changed as of the 15th of this month so that only dogs and miniature horses can be legal service animals! Although, it gives businesses more leeway to pick and choose who they allow in, and since I'm open and honest about my relationship with my rooster and WHY he is important to me, most businesses let us in regardless.

 

[Suechick]

 

[azygous]

I'm replying mainly to get this bumped back up where more people can enjoy reading it!

I'd say your hen has chosen your lap in which to lay her eggs because she trusts you and has decided you deserve this great honor!

 

[NonnasBabies]

Very cool story!!

 

[nottodayflocker]

I love this story! I have a couple of hens that take turns laying eggs in my patio chair. I have not kept them in my lap long enough to have them lay an egg, but one actually jumped into my lap, and I am thinking with that intention.

 

[Marlys A]

I guess the first thing I should throw out is that I train chickens professionally, and I treat my chickens more as pets than backyard egg machines. I have two roosters and three hens - no problems aggression-wise or with my hens being over-mated. One of the roosters is a bantam mutt, and just can't seem to get a grip on the standard-sized girls, and has given up trying to mate them.

Anyway, I have one girl - her father was a Welsummer and her mother a Blackstar ( 1/2 Rhode Island Red, 1/2 Barred Plymouth Rock ) - and she has decided that MY LAP is the perfect place to lay eggs! This is the FOURTH TIME she has decided to lay an egg in my lap! She'll leap out of her coop, fly across my room, jump up on my bed, run across and burrow into my lap, then she goes trance-like anywhere between a couple of minutes and about an hour, making cooing noises, and then there's an egg! She'll sit in my lap for a little while longer while I pet her and tell her how good she is, then she's ready to go back into the coop.

I've heard of chickens laying in a person's favourite recliner chair, right on the kitchen counter, in front of the door on the porch, and in many other areas that seem to be close to their humans... but never have I heard of having an egg laid in someone's lap! As endearing as this behaviour is, should I discourage it? Has anyone else had a hen that insists on being in their lap or at least very near them to lay their egg?

My hen laid her first two eggs in the coop. For the last three days she started crying until I let her sit in my lap. Within seconds she lays an egg. I’ve tried carrying her out to the coop and locking her in. She just wails. It has been hot this last few days so I tried opening up all doors on the coop. Nope, that didn’t work. After the third time I gave up and let her lay it in my lap. I came online to see how crazy this is and found your post

 

[WoDia]

This isn’t about one of my chickens, but one of my King Quail seemed to hold those eggs in until I was holding her. She would actually call out, louder and louder, until I went and got her. Then, she’d lay them in the palm of my hand. I believe that it was all about safety and comfort.