Hidden nest…

[PoppasGrill]

We’ve been noticing a drop in eggs for the past 2-3 weeks, and have 11 tweens that should be starting to lay.
Found a Brahma Lite hen in a cabinet under an old unused stainless sink. Evidently she crawled in through the back where the pipes enter, and she must not have been the only one. She’s got 34 eggs under her, some of them fairy sized, we assume from the first tween eggs. She’s broody, first Lite of our 7 that has gone broody, and not happy we found her sanctuary.

The door was completely closed, we cracked it so she can get out for food and water, and blocked the back.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Yeah, I keep finding my chickens' secret egg stashes too. And sometimes broodies. whenever I find a stash and clear it out, they no longer use it and I need to figure out where the next one is!

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Mine are collectively hiding a nest, I will find it and it will be ridiculously full of eggs… sneaky girls take turns incubating. It will be in a bramble bush I bet. I just know them they strategise and look for fortress to hide and make hard to access. They want babies.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Lord that’s a lot of eggs, she looks like a giant chicken pancake

 

[Yardmom]

Are you intending to let her brood? If so get the eggs down to a number she can cover well. Some can handle a dozen. Mark the eggs she is keeping, if you are not closing off access for the other hens. Be sure to remove new egg additions daily. Personally I would close the cabinet and then let her out once or twice a day.

 

[PoppasGrill]

We thought she had got in there and died, but when we tried to lift her she growled at us and warned us off.
We have found eggs up on the shelf, behind the barn between the shed, in the cat kennel boxes, and just on the ground in the middle of the coop.
I think the worse was in an old nesting box buried under the straw with eggs layed on top. Those started smelling before we found them.

 

[PoppasGrill]

Are you intending to let her brood? If so get the eggs down to a number she can cover well. Some can handle a dozen. Mark the eggs she is keeping, if you are not closing off access for the other hens. Be sure to remove new egg additions daily. Personally I would close the cabinet and then let her out once or twice a day.

That’s a good plan, Thank you for the thought.

 

[aart]

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

First damaged coop torn down, first new pen is up, hoping to get second damaged coop torn down and second pen up and hopefully the new coop built, roosts put in, small coop repair started, then once that is done, new nesting boxes up, and then all outfitted with auto watering and feeders… I am hoping I can get them contained soon, so I can get eggs again… winter storm did a number on my yard. Realistically the chicken coop/pen rebuild will probably take a couple more weeks simply because of work and other responsibilities…. Will start feeding them in the pens now to get them used to the new pens.