Chickens moving eggs

[Dwerker]

Hi - I'm pretty new to keeping chickens - we got three at the end of the summer and they're doing well. I always leave the eggs for my daughter to collect when she gets home but I noticed the other day that there were 2 eggs in the coop (where they roost) yet later on there were 2 in the nesting box and one in the coop Why would a chicken move another chicken's egg?!

 

[Judy]

I don't know why but it's not that unusual. You will definitely see this when there is a broody setting on eggs. Some apparently move their eggs under the broody, or at least think they are doing so. Others appear to steal what they consider the broody's eggs for themselves. At least this is what I've seen with mine, but my experience is fairly limited. I haven't seen them do it except when one of them is broody or about to go broody, thinking they are collecting their clutch -- but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

 

[SILKIEOBESSESED]

It happens and its normal for broody chickens.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Glad to have you join us!

 

[Dwerker]

Thanks for replying - I shall probably be picking everyone's brains as I'm new to chickens! x

 

[Judy]

Thanks for replying - I shall probably be picking everyone's brains as I'm new to chickens! x

Welcome to our forum! And sorry I missed this in my first post....

That's what we're here for!

 

[Teri Metcalf]

Greetings from Texas! As far as I know, none of our girls has moved an egg to a totally different location. But occasionally a hen gets cranky and will peck and crack the shell of another's egg. I usually try to salvage the egg, especially if the membrane just beneath the shell hasn't been broken.

 

[JDMchickens]

Hi,

My chickens do this a lot, it usually hapens because one chicken prefers to lay in a different spot and while doing so they like to make sure all the other eggs are underneath them.

To make sure my theory was correct, i tested it. Here's how it went:

Firstly I waited for a hen (bluebelle) to go in to the nesting box, waited for it to sit down and get comfortable,

Then placed a shop bought egg next to it, with in seconds she moved it underneath her using her beak

I then placed it on the otherside of the box ( one foot away), she stood up and went to get it and rolled it back to her spot and then carried on sitting on the eggs waiting for hers to pop out.

Hope I've helped

( Kept yard chickens for three years and made this account recently )

 

[BantamFan4Life]

 

[drumstick diva]

hide and keep an eye on the girls, you'll see how they can move an egg from one nest to another without hands. I couldn't do it.