Chickens Burying Eggs?

[SunriseChickers]

Yesterday I didn't get any eggs, and I noticed they had pushed aside half their bedding into a pile. I dug around loosely to see if they had accidentally gotten buried, but I didn't see any. When I pulled away the chickens pushed all of the bedding back in place, but I thought they were just rooting for spilled feed. Today I dug around more, and found two eggs berried deeper that I had dug the day before. They weren't too happy when I took them, but they didn't fight or peck me. Why are they doing this?

 

[50-45-1]

What are you using for bedding?
I use straw for nest boxes, when i used hay the hens would scratch it around as they were finding seeds, leaves or something tasty.
Also making your nest boxes dark will reduce them scratchin around in there.
Maybe add curtins.

 

[EggWalrus]

Why?
There ain't no damn telling!
It's just what they feel the need to do from time to time. I've had them do it too. If you collect eggs a couple times a day, it makes it happen less often.

 

[SunriseChickers]

What are you using for bedding?
I use straw for nest boxes, when i used hay the hens would scratch it around as they were finding seeds, leaves or something tasty.
Also making your nest boxes dark will reduce them scratching around in there.
Maybe add curtains.

I use pine shavings.

I don't have nesting boxes yet, but their bigger coop is under construction. It will have boxes, roosts, etc.

 

[sourland]

Just chickens being chickens - if they are cooped up because of the time of year and weather it may be out of boredom.

 

[SunriseChickers]

Just chickens being chickens - if they are cooped up because of the time of year and weather it may be out of boredom.

I let them out to free-range at about 9:30, and I close them up only after they have gone in by themselves. Since it's winter and the nights are longer, they are inside for longer. Is there anything I could put in there to keep them from getting bored?

 

[EggWalrus]

I let them out to free-range at about 9:30, and I close them up only after they have gone in by themselves. Since it's winter and the nights are longer, they are inside for longer. Is there anything I could put in there to keep them from getting bored?

You can put some branches, blocks, logs, and other things for them to play on. One big help would to be: buy a bale of hay/straw. Bust it up in the run till there is about 6-8 inches of hay they can scratch thru. It will help your coop/run health plus give the birds something to investigate/play with. If you can't put it all in this month, you can store it, then put some more in next month.
They'll love it! I guarantee!

 

[SunriseChickers]

You can put some branches, blocks, logs, and other things for them to play on. One big help would to be: buy a bale of hay/straw. Bust it up in the run till there is about 6-8 inches of hay they can scratch thru. It will help your coop/run health plus give the birds something to investigate/play with. If you can't put it all in this month, you can store it, then put some more in next month.
They'll love it! I guarantee!

Thanks, that's a cool idea, I'm sure they would love, but I have no run. I have a large pen, soon to have netting over it, and the coop is too small for something as large as a log. There is a foyer, about 8 inches wide and three feet long, then there is the main room where they sleep. I think it's about 2x3 feet. Very small for them, but we are building a new one with much more space. The one they are in now doesn't even have roosts! One of the reasons it's so small is because it was intended for our dog, but she just jumped over the fence and never went into the house.

It was so cute to watch them as chicks in the brooder box. I gave them little blocks, ramps, and platforms to play on.

I do sprinkle feed around the ground where they hang out by the house in the day time, which can keep the occupied for a while. Sometimes they come with me into the field to eat berries, but there is nothing for them to do in the night but sleep. Sleep they do, but if boredom is causing them to bury their eggs it's only boredom in the night.

I was thinking today of using some of the logs and materials lying around to make a playground for them like I did when they first started going outside. It had bamboo stick roosts, a ramp up to an elevated nest, a lower board to perch on, and apples hung by strings. I would love to do it in a bigger version, but I just need to find a good spot.

The new coop will have roosts, and more room means more fun things I can give them.

Back to the subject.

What else could be causing them to bury their eggs?

 

[BigATC]

I put some straw out today in a muddy area and it was a big improvement even after they scratched through it for an hour. I have a couple of log sections in the run that they seem to enjoy. Going to make a swing and see how that goes. When we get some more snow, I'll hang a cabbage.

As an aside, when I let the pullets out into the yard this afternoon I walked back into the house an looked out the window to keep an eye on them.... one hen had dropped an egg in the middle of the yard! Must have been excited to get out of the run

 

[pennyJo1960]

Yesterday I didn't get any eggs, and I noticed they had pushed aside half their bedding into a pile. I dug around loosely to see if they had accidentally gotten buried, but I didn't see any. When I pulled away the chickens pushed all of the bedding back in place, but I thought they were just rooting for spilled feed. Today I dug around more, and found two eggs berried deeper that I had dug the day before. They weren't too happy when I took them, but they didn't fight or peck me. Why are they doing this?

Normal behavior for birds give them a couple nest boxes these can be of anything storage containers 30 gallon if they are full grown birds