Fifi is at the bottom of the pecking order.  It is not such a bad thing in our flock. Some chickens in other flocks are terrorized in that position.  Not in ours, Fifi is left alone for the most part until she needs to lay an egg.  I am not sure if it is due to her rank in the pecking order or just plain confusion as she is learning to lay eggs, but every other day or so, she lays an egg in one of the large dusting holes.  She seems to think that is a nest.

I have added fake wooden decoy eggs in the nesting boxes to try and lure her into laying in the coop.  I have also tried to feed the others snacks more frequently, so she can get into the nesting boxes when the bigger girls are distracted.  Nothing has worked.  Over the past two weeks, I have scooped out 10 eggs.  Yesterday, I had accepted that I would be scooping her delicate tiny eggs from the bathing bowls as they were laid.  At least everyone else was laying in the nesting boxes.

This afternoon, I went to check for eggs and found, Feathers in the nesting box.  Usually, she lets out a growl as I pet her captive body in the box waiting for the egg to arrive.  Strangely today, she did not growl.  She was quiet and let me pet her.  This could only mean one thing.  I was petting Fifi, not Feathers.  Fifi was in the nesting box laying her egg!  I quickly ran into the garage and distracted the others with dried meal worms.

Fifteen minutes later I returned.  Inside the nesting box, was the tiny cream colored egg laid by Fifi.

Photo Credit:  Tilly’s Nest