The day my entire flock decided to lay their eggs in the compost pile

I spent a good twenty minutes searching the coop and nesting boxes last Tuesday, convinced a predator had gotten in. My husband finally called from the garden, 'Hey Claire, you might want to see this.' All eight hens had laid their daily eggs in a neat little pile right on top of the fresh grass clippings. It was a sunny 75 degrees, and I guess they liked the warm, soft spot. Has anyone else's chickens ever completely boycotted their nesting boxes for a week straight?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_andrew10d ago

Yeah, aaronrobinson has a point about the grass clippings heating up. That internal heat from decomposition is way more steady than just sun. My birds did the same thing last summer, picked a rotting leaf pile over their nice straw. They're basically looking for the perfect warm incubator spot.

aaronrobinson10d ago

You mentioned it was 75 degrees, but fresh grass clippings in a compost pile can actually get pretty hot as they break down. That might be the real warmth they liked, not just the sun.