[Beano]

Can anyone tell me whats going on with my three chickens?
Poppy as stopped laying and decided that she prefers to crow 5-6 times every morning.
Buttercup is a strange scrappy thing that has not layed for ages and has never been a reliable layer.
Goldie is the only one laying. I was watching them yesterday and Goldie was making her "I want to lay an egg" noises and went into the coop. Buttercup saw this and followed her in. Now she always does this and even though they have 3 nestboxes, only one ever gets used. She will go in and sit in that nestbox stopping Goldie from laying. Later on that day all three were in. Poppy by the door with Goldie behind her and Buttercup in the nestbox.
All three eventually came out and Goldie went straight back in to lay. Is Buttercup stopping Goldie? Or am I watching them too much and it is quite natural behaviour?
Anyway after all the fuss there was no egg.

[Roughlee Handled]

What breed are they?
How old are they.
Have you checked closely for creepy crawlies.

[Beano]

They are a mix and I dont know of what.
The two who aren't laying are over 2 years old.
The brown one is younger, I think.
I got given them from my brother who inherited a flock of 14/15 after a neighbour died.
Not that worried about the lack of eggs, they're pets with the occasional bonus.
I'll have to have a good look for lice etc. on them.
They all look very healthy though.

[Roughlee Handled]

If they are hybrids they will be coming to the end of there laying life, if they are pure breeds then they may not lay in the winter. 

I would check the coop over for creepy crawlies (check nooks and crannies) red mite can stop them from laying.

[Beano]

Why would they both follow the brown one in though?
Is it curiosity?

[lucylou]

hi Beano! ive got a couple of nosey parkers that follow the others into the nest box to keep an eye on them - one of them even starts to loudly announce that there is someone in the nest box! lucyloux

[8doubles]

If one is broody it may be lurking so it can sit on the egg the other lays. The 3rd just thinks it is missing something.

It happens in my coop.

[beulah59]

I often have four hens together in the nest boxes but often end up with only 2 or 3 eggs!

[Sassy]

I've had them all sat on top of one another - I don't know how they haven't suffocated - and still had no eggs

[joyfull]

perhaps they all wanted to have a group hug 

[Beano]

So my chickens are quite normal then?
Thanks for your replies. They are funny little things aren't they.