The ladies are making me nuts!!!

[Kidwantschickens]

I'm guessing they're laying somewhere I can't find. And I'm guessing the only solution is to trap them in the coop a few days. But maybe you guys have tips in how to find a nest?

I've seen 2 eggs that were dark black copper Marans ish (I don't have a BCM). This was two weeks ago so I know she's laying more.... All 11 of 12 hens are squatting, and they are just starting to lay, good laying breeds, so I feel like I should be getting more than 5 of the same eggs a day .. I found a pinkish one in the yard a few days ago, never saw a similar one again, found a speckled one in the nest, never saw a similar one again, and there have to be others. I'm consistently getting ones from my cuckoo Marans, the 2 EEs and the sapphire gem.

Are they eating some but not all? Or do they have a nest somewhere and how do I find it??

 

[RubelliteRose]

They probably aren't eating the eggs, but they may be laying them somewhere besides the nest box. The only way I know of to find a hidden nest is to sit and watch them or do a thorough search of the property
It won't hurt them to be locked in the coop (or coop and run if you have one) for a few days to get them used to laying in the nest boxes. Once the first few start using the nest boxes, the rest will hopefully follow.
Also, they can be somewhat erratic when first laying. It can take several weeks to settle into a more regular laying schedule. One of mine took a couple of months before she started laying regularly.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

They few that are consistently laying in the coop are doing it daily. We even left for four days and came home to 14 eggs. So they didn't eat those ones.

I've been watching them all morning and don't see them going anywhere. I heard a bunch of egg song (from 2-3 hens) this morning but no eggs in the nest box and all hens accounted for. (one currently sitting in there and she is who is suspected had the dark chocolate colored egg... So we'll see) I'll take some pictures later of the last two weeks worth of eggs and you'll see there aren't 13 different hens eggs there.

We've searched the property and neighbors back area. There are shrubs and high grass along the back and tumble weed caught against the back fence so lord only knows

 

[3KillerBs]

Shutting them into their coop and run for a week or so ought to help.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

Ok so here is the last 2+ weeks of eggs.

I have a very mixed flock of chickens. 1 of each speckled Sussex, buff Orpington, buff brahma, prairie Bluebell, Bielefelder, salmon Faverolle, cuckoo Marans, Sapphire gem, polish, and the mystery chicken that I'm now sure is a blue french copper Marans but I have no clue how. And then two Easter eggers.

The Easter eggers, the sapphire gem and the cuckoo Marans lay almost every day. We get 4-5 eggs a day. Out of 12. The polish isn't laying yet from what I know. She's my only white egg layer.

I can't tell the prairie Bluebell from the EEs. I suspect this one might be hers.

And then I think this is the speckled Sussex


I think this is the SF (first and only I've seen) it's next to two store bought eggs to show the pinkish brown.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

This is their coop/run area but I've never locked them in. Lol. They're going to hate me.


This is the back area. Good luck finding anything here.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is their coop/run area but I've never locked them in. Lol. They're going to hate me.

They'll get over it. They need to earn their keep by putting eggs in the nest boxes.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

The sapphire gem was in there all morning. No egg. Did she eat it? I'm waiting for someone else to vacate before I explore the nest more.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

To hey have 4 boxes. They use the bottom two (I need to work on that part) I had cov red them with a sheet. They like it a lot better but they don't utilize the top two)

 

[3KillerBs]

To hey have 4 boxes. They use the bottom two (I need to work on that part) I had cov red them with a sheet. They like it a lot better but they don't utilize the top two)

One day you'll find that, suddenly, they only use that nest.

Chickens are weird that way.

Mine favor the boxes on the left. Then the boxes on the right. Then the middle. It's beyond my comprehension why a given hen chooses a given box.