Hen Chronicles: Self-expression in the coop

Do chickens have an underappreciated knack for interior decorating?

The inside of our chicken coop is pretty bare bones: a rectangular floor with small nest boxes off to one side; unfinished walls; an elevated wooden roost that runs from the front of the coop to the back; and a metal roof.

So “the girls” don’t really have much of an opportunity to express themselves in there. (Unless you consider pooping and egg laying forms of expression.) After all, even if they wanted to hang a couple of centerfolds from Playhen magazine, they have no access to hammers and nails. Nor, for that matter, do they have hands with which to wield tools. (Wings and screwdrivers: not a good match.)

Still, Snow and Nala have found a way to let their creative juices flow. What they’re trying to say, though, remains a mystery.

When it gets really cold out - say, below 5 degrees - I toss extra bedding into the coop to provide added insulation. I figure having several inches of pine shavings on the floor of the coop during a cold snap can’t hurt. And it may help, in some small way, to keep things reasonably toasty in there, especially at night.

Whether the chickens appreciate the insulating properties of their bedding is anybody’s guess. But for whatever reason, they do enjoy kicking the stuff into a large pile - a mountain, really - either before they settle down for the night or while they’re waiting for me to let them out in the morning.

The arrangement changes from night to night. Sometimes, The Mount is located smack dab in the middle of the coop’s floor. Or it’s propped up against a side door, like an embankment. At other times, The Mount is off in a corner, or it’s divided into several piles scattered around the coop . . . a poultry rendition of the seven hills upon which Rome was built.

Do the girls fancy themselves architects? Landscapers? Urban planners? Is this a form of artistic expression? Or is this constant reorganizing a way for the hens to unwind after a busy day of begging for snacks? I suppose if I spot a copy of Coop Beautiful magazine in one of the nest boxes, I’ll know it’s time to guard my credit cards.