This morning I woke up to the normal sound of my chickens doing their egg song. Normally, before going out to collect them I fix them a treat when I think that they are done laying and bring it out to them. Let me say that sometimes I keep their pen and run open so that they can free range from time to time, no predator problems. Well, when I got out to their lay boxes they were empty!?!
After scratching my head for a minute I noticed another egg song coming from the field, under my untrimmed pepper tree. I went to investigate. I found not only a chicken laying an egg, but also another dozen eggs. They're hording!?! The worst part is that I can't get to them because of the very low branches, and my physical limitation.
Why the sudden change in lay location? It is not their first time free ranging, they've never laid outside of their lay boxes before.
I felt that they were trying to hide them from me, especially since the whole flock followed me over to the tree when I went looking. They normally don't follow me around when I don't have treats in my hands, at least most of them don't.
I hope that they don't keep this behavior up, but for today I got no eggs.
After scratching my head for a minute I noticed another egg song coming from the field, under my untrimmed pepper tree. I went to investigate. I found not only a chicken laying an egg, but also another dozen eggs. They're hording!?! The worst part is that I can't get to them because of the very low branches, and my physical limitation.
Why the sudden change in lay location? It is not their first time free ranging, they've never laid outside of their lay boxes before.
I felt that they were trying to hide them from me, especially since the whole flock followed me over to the tree when I went looking. They normally don't follow me around when I don't have treats in my hands, at least most of them don't.
I hope that they don't keep this behavior up, but for today I got no eggs.
