When I checked on the girls after lunch three little girls were missing. Dandelion was in one nest box and Apricot was in the other nest box. I checked the chicken shed and Cinnamon was on the back perch where she has taken to laying her eggs.
I left her to it as the nest boxes were engaged and I had cleaned out the shed in the morning and piled the pine shavings thickly in that corner.
I checked back a bit later and Dandelion and Apricot had laid their eggs. Apricots was still warm so she had just laid. I opened the shed to check on Cinnamon and she was flattened on the perch. Just at that moment I saw her egg drop from her and land with a plop in the shavings.
I was amazed that I had actually seen it happen.
Cinnamon has just laid her egg into the shavings below
I have never heard of another chicken doing this except when they get caught out and need to lay first thing in the morning. Cinnamon sleeps at the other end of this perch and Emerald and Speckles sleep in this spot but it is always this spot that Cinnamon chooses to lay her egg.
This is one of the strangest things I have come across since keeping chickens. Cinnamon really is a funny little girl.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Incredible behaviour – as you say, first thing in the morning, it happens occasionally but not as a ‘planned’ activity! Good job her shells are of good quality, an that you anticipate it and have plenty of shavings.
It is so very odd. Luckily her eggs have good shells and with deep shavings none have broken so far. Their is something very quirky about this little girl but I love her.
She is a funny little girl, Lucky you have a soft landing for her egg.
It the one of the funniest things I have come across yet but her eggs have good shells and I keep the shavings deep so they are fine.
It’s amazing that you got to see this. I wonder what causes her to do it.
I have been so lucky that by timing I have seen most of my girls laying at various times. This has been the oddest yet though. I think perhaps because she is so tiny she thinks she has to be high to be safe but of course I am only guessing with as much chicken knowledge as I have. This is the first time that I have come across this although Emerald also goes a bit manic when about to lay an egg and she liked the cat box best. It seems to be that some of them become more concerned about the safest place to lay their egg.