Burying Eggs??!!!

[robynandbatman]

The new girls I brought in a few weeks ago are burying their eggs. When I open the nesting box areas (checked twice daily) one box has eggs on the top in a nicely shaped nest as they always have been. The other box is a mess and eggs are buried under the straw, occasionally there is poop in there too. Why?

 

[hosspak]

I have seen my girls do this too. I think the eggs are laid and left alone and some of the girls are scratching through the litter so the eggs get covered up. Which is good because they don't seem broody. Although the eggs could get damaged if the girls get too rough. Some of my hens scratch the litter out of certain nest boxes and seem to leave others alone...They are a strange bunch.

 

[BillM2]

Seems like now all my girls are burying their eggs! I noticed only a few around the coop and thought they were not laying as much due to the cold weather. I then noticed a pile of pine shavings in their corner where they lay. I reached in and dug around and found 10 eggs! That's about a day and a half worth for my six. Anyone else experience this?

 

[donrae]

My birds do this on and off. I don't think it's a big deal, you just have to know to look for eggs. Different animals have different instincts--some dogs bury their food, some don't care. I think it's the same with chickens.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

-some dogs bury their food, some don't care.

lol I have dogs like that, so annoying! My chickens have done this a time or two before. This morning when I went out I noticed one nesting boxes had the golf ball moved around. I just think of it as they are playing. So far mine have never broken an egg so it doesn't bug me.

 

[creepygothnursi]

Yep, we got egg burying going on here too. I just make sure I look. It's actually one of the less annoying things my chickens do, so I can't complain.

 

[BillM2]

I just wish they'd use the nesting boxes I built, but no! When I've placed eggs in them, but the hen chief just makes a huge racket standing in front of them. Squawking loudly until I remove them. I also have an area partitioned for our bunnies with straw on the floor. They like to go in there and lay under the raised cage. It's an egg hunt every morning!

 

[ChemKelly]

A couple of my young roosters bury eggs under nesting material.
I see them on my chicken cam do it nearly every day.