The Poultry Keeper

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

...One of my two marans has started laying
She laid it in the main part of the house, I'm not sure if she knows where the nest box is so I may have to 'show' them both (I don't know which one laid).
Anyway I went in to check the nest box and there was nothing in it but I noticed Billie, my RIRxlight sussex sitting in the house. I went to have a look at her and she 'growled' at me, she also had a load of shavings over her back. She moved just enough that I noticed an egg under her. I thought this was a bit odd as she always lays in the nest box. The best I can guess is that she is starting to get a bit broody so I braved the pecking and removed the egg only to see the colour difference when I got it into the light (definately not one of hers). I figure she went in to lay and saw the egg on the floor and decided it needed looking after. She eventually moved into the nest box and laid her own egg but strangely enough when I looked she was sitting in there but her egg was at the other side of the box, I took it out and it was relatively cool so she had been in there a while but despite having wanted to sit on another egg she didn't fancy sitting on her own.
I've seen one of my other girls putting shavings on her back after laying and have read that it is quite common but this is the first time Billie has done it while I've had her (well that I've seen). I wonder if it is an attempt to camouflage themselves when they are vulnerable to attack.

Knobby · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject:

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7424 Location: isle of lewis

great news ,i think all my hens do it
suz