Hens throwing straw/leaves on their own backs!

[epeloquin]

I noticed some time back that one of my hens was picking up pieces of straw, leaves or wood shavings and throwing them onto her own back. I have since seen several others doing this as well. The last time happened to be when they were trying to use the same nesting box which they always do. I don't know if it had anything to do with the behavior. They always have plenty of fresh clean straw in their nesting boxes. This is just odd and I wonder if anyone else has observed this behavior or have an idea as to why they do it.

 

[Sunyoung]

I've seen my dad's hens do this. It was always while they were in the nest box and getting ready to lay. Granted, I'm sort of new to chickens..

 

[bel]

My cochin did that before she would lay, chickens sometimes do that before going broody. It seems to be a nest building and or hiding instinct.

 

[debid]

It's camouflage. Smart chickens know they'll be stuck on the nest for a while and want to be as invisible to predators as possible.

 

[FeatherPainter]

My first hen to lay, a buff orpington did this right after laying. I wondered why too. She's been laying a few months now and I haven't seen her do it anymore.

 

[sourland]

It may be a lingering 'genetic memory' back to the time when their ancient dinosaur forebears covered their nests for protection prior to leaving. Ducks and geese in particular very frequently cover their eggs so that they are less noticeable to predaors.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Lingering genetic memory. Good way to put it. A kind of nest building/egg hiding behavior. Some seldom demonstrate it, some occasionally, and some do it for a very long and deliberate time.

 

[ChickenMamaMichelle]

I just looked this up because mine was doing this yesterday. She never did lay.

 

[ValerieJ]

I just looked this up because mine was doing this yesterday. She never did lay.

I just looked this up because mine was doing it today. What a strange thing. Now that I'm incubating the hatching eggs I bought for a broody who stopped brooding the day before they arrived, I'm sure I will have another broody. Makes complete sense.