Chickens hiding eggs

[stilldeb]

We have two chicken coops - one has five hens that are about 10 months old, all bantams, and one roo. They have two nesting boxes in their coop, elevated off the floor about midway up the wall. They had been laying some eggs in the nesting boxes, but not a lot of eggs this winter, just started to pick up again. We had been calling them the "freeloaders" because the other coop had lots of eggs (with much younger chickens). Anyway, today I was raking through their litter, cleaning up, etc., and found at least six eggs - some were deliberately buried in the litter, some were UNDER the nesting boxes. They aren't usually this secretive, and nobody is broody. If I put a golf ball or fake egg in the nest box, I no sooner close the door but I literally hear them throw it out, so that doesn't work. These are our first and oldest chickens, so don't know how weird this really is.

deb g
KY

 

[heathersboers]

My Blue laced red wyandottes do the same thing- I have one that will dig a hole in the sand-move all the bedding- and lay an egg- when she gets done- she gets up, and digs like a dog to bury it.

Wierdest thing I ever seen.. Kinda funny...

 

[BWKatz]

I have 2 that lay in the nest box and then my two Polish that were laying out in the open pen. Recently (maybe due to the cold) the Polish have started digging and burying their eggs. Really makes it challenging to find them.

 

[BeautifulPacificNorthwest]

I have to dig through the straw everyday for eggs. Some are in the nest boxes, others buried. Although I have a few sneaky hens, I'm not convinced mine cover them intentionally, most likely they're getting buried as they scratch and toss the straw around. At least I think that's how it happens...Now I wonder...

I'd laugh out loud to see one bury it like a dog bone though!

It's a happy (although rare) day around here when I find everyone laid in the coop

 

[stilldeb]

Mine do have heaters in the floor, so I think maybe they are wallowing down on the heaters to warm up their butts and laying their eggs. Maybe when it warms up (IF it ever does, which at this point I am beginning to doubt!) they will go back to the boxes.

Over in the "peeper coop" (27 wk old chooks), one of them layed an egg by the front door and here I am reaching through from the back to get it, and of course they are all sticking their heads in ....laughing....yes, I'm sure I heard them laughing.

deb g
KY

 

[MareeZoCool]

Have your hens witnessed you picking eggs? One of my hens did, and she gave the rooster a ration of hen chat! He got busy making nests all around our place. Each mest, he'd cluck lovingly to her, she'd look..... "SQUAWK! CLUK CHUK CLUK"! Finally, she tore up a tractor repair manual in our truck, and laid her eggs under the front seat. You gotta love chickens!

 

[Kaceyx73]

I had someone in the coop do the same thing with 3 eggs. They appeared to have fluffed up the straw and put the eggs under it and pulled the straw back over it. It was only the one time and haven't seen it since.

 

[BWKatz]

Success! I've been putting the Polish eggs back in the nest box and then sitting each of my Polish on them and petting them telling them what good girls they are. Yesterday they BOTH laid in the nest box for the first time.