[bexy]

Hi all.

Doris my fluffy little hen has just started doing something really strange.
I was watching her today and noticed that everytime she came accross a worm or grub she would play with it by picking it up in her beak and dropping it again while making little noises as though she was talking to it.
As soon as one of my other hens came to try to take the worm or grub off her she would then quickly eat it before they got it.
Anyone else noticed this with their hens before?

[Hawthorn Harry]

My mob do this all the time and the bigger the worm/grub/mouse/frog the more it is played with.  Then the rest of the mob spot what is going on and the chase begins - hilarious!!!!

[azubah]

Mine do it too.
I just love that happy ' I've found something really nice' sound.

I was wondering if the display is designed to attract the attention of chicks to food so that they learn what is good to eat.

I have a bantam cockerel which does the same performance.

[Oliveview]

Ours are the same when they get anything ´interesting´ to eat.  You would think they would like to go and eat it quietly so as to not have to ´share´it with the others wouldn´t you?
The best is when we find the odd big  locust- they have a huge scramble to see who can win, it usually changes beaks many times
Pamela