Random egg found on ground?

csaylorchickens · May 20, 2016

I have four chickens that are over a year old now. They all kind of went through a mini molt when they are around 9 months not a full-on molt. My lead hand my biggest hen looks like she is molting right now. She has lost a lot of feathers. I also have 6 Baby Buff orpingtons with them and they are around 9 weeks old. They are in a very secure run with bird netting on top. I went into the run today to clean it up and fill the water and feed and I noticed a random egg laying on the ground? The chicken who ever laid it I guess did not make it to the nesting box? It has just been over a week with the new additions to the coop.
could this mean that the new additions are causing the hens to not want to go in the nesting boxes to lay? I think the egg that was laying randomly was the hen that is molting right now.

teach1rusl · May 21, 2016

I think it's just an "oops" egg...I find them every once in a blue moon around here. Maybe it was an egg that passed super easily (more like a bowel movement feeling), and so there was not the normal urge/pushing involved that goads them into finding a nest??? That's my hypothesis anyway.

csaylorchickens · May 22, 2016

Well no issues since then so all is good. I think the little ones are throwing off the big girls. I still have to gO out and put the small ones on the roost bar at night sometimes. They are adjusting pretty well though.

lilapot · May 22, 2016

It's probably just a accident. My first egg was placed randomly. I guess it was an easy egg!

Ol Grey Mare · May 22, 2016

It happens -- sometimes even established birds that are well in the routine of laying in a nesting box will lay on the coop floor, in the run, out in the yard if ranging, etc --- it can be caused by a "surprise" egg sneaking up on them a bit, them being upset by not being able to get into their preferred nest box (occupied by someone else at the time of need), a hen just not wanting to tear herself away from whatever she was doing at the time it was time to lay, etc.