This was my view when I peeked into the hen house today. That nesting box is big enough for one hen normally. But Penny (the one in front) has gone "broody" and won't relinquish the nest! So Camilla had to shove her way in there when it was time to lay her egg. This is a good description (from backyardchickens.com) on what happens when a hen is broody:
"The best way to tell a hen has gone broody is when she wants to stay in
her nest spot at night instead of going up to the roost to sleep.
She'll puff her feathers out, flatten her body over the eggs, growl or
shriek if disturbed, and often peck or bite any hand that dares come
close. She may be setting on real eggs, fake eggs, golf balls, or
imaginary eggs, it doesn't matter, they're important to her."
Yep, that's what she's doing! Since there's no Rooster, those eggs aren't fertilized. She could sit on 'em 'till the cows come home and they ain't gonna hatch. So, I have to "bust her up" – which makes me sound like a mob boss, but is really not as bad as all that. :0) When a hen goes broody & you don't want her to, you have to get her to snap out of it – aka: break her or bust her up. To do that I'll just have to separate her from the rest of the girls for a couple days and keep her in a place with no bedding. Hello, pet carrier! She'll be in chicken jail until she lays an egg, which (as I understand it) will let me know she's back to normal. I'm sure the other girls will appreciate that since they only have the one nest to share.
♥