bury your eggs!

[Anny]

My chicken is cover her eggs up with bedding. She never lays in the nesting box, but she was being nice and always laying in one corner of the coop, which made collecting easy enough. But now she is bury the eggs in the bedding so I have to hunt for them. I'd rather not have a easter egg hunt every morning. How do I break this nasty behavior??

They have a nice nesting box that two of the hens sleep in... and then they have a milk crate (on the ground) that no one ever used but they like to sit on top of it. I've tried leaving eggs in the nesting box, putting "fake" eggs in the box. Nothing. Help !

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

I've had chickens that have done that. If you can, could you put the nesting box where she lays her egg with fake eggs in the nest?

 

[Jahlers]

Do you think she's trying to keep them warm? Or is she just trying to hide them from you?
I grew up on a farm with lots of chickens, but I can't get my own two hens to lay anything, so don't mind me.

 

[chickymama25]

All I can think of is that she is part Beagle!

Sorry, not teasing. Very strange behavior, never heard of such a thing. Do you use shavings? Perhaps a medium that is harder to dig into would be useful, like hay. Might be worth a try and easier to see through.

 

[2dream]

Funny, I had a Blue Silke that would bury her eggs. I would put the nest box in that spot and the next day she would lay her egg right next to the box and cover the egg. I moved the nest box and she moved over until we went all the way around the coop. We did this for weeks until I finally just took cardboard boxes and lined the walls of the coop. She finally picked one and that is where she lays everyday. I removed the rest of the boxes. And to think we designed nice easy to reach into from the outside nest boxes which she refuses to use. Thank goodness I work for a company that gets lots of stuff in those boxes because I have to replace it about every 3 weeks. And she refuses to lay in any other size box. If I put a different size box in there she will lay her egg right next to it.

 

[austinhart123]

maybe she wants to go broody

 

[Anny]

I am using shavings so they are fluffy and light. I don't think she is broody since she bury the eggs and leaves it.

My nesting box is built into the coop, and no one lays eggs in it, they just sleep in it.

I put a milk crate in the coop, and they just sit on top of the milk crate pooping on top.

Any ideas on other things I Could use for nesting boxes that is cheap or very low cost? Maybe a cheap cat litter box or something?