I have a mature flock (1 1/2 year old) of Buff Orpingtons who lay everyday in their nests. Every month or so however I find an egg below their roosting bars on the coop floor. This is happening at night as I don't see the egg when I put them up for the evening. I know that in the scope of chicken problems this would rate pretty low, but I am curious. What I want to know is, "do chickens have "egg dreams?" Has anyone else had this problem?
I get eggs laid on the roost once in awhile, it's not uncommon. The eggs are almost always abnormal when I find them though, soft shells, no shells, no yolks, thin shells, etc.
Once in a while I'll find a normal egg underneath the roost. Sometimes I will see the evidence of one... and pray that the birds don't become regular egg eaters.
Quote:You've eased my mind a bit. Mine have been laying a little over a week and I found one crushed on the roost bar this morning. It had to have happened in her sleep as the OP said. I was fearful that I had an egg eater but it didn't look like any had been eaten and no one had egg on her face. It seemed soft shelled.
Sometimes eggs just happen where ever. I have seen my hens in the yard, walking about and suddenly leave an egg just as easy and sudden as they would leave some poop. Or I just find them in the yard or under the perches. However they are great nest layers and these yard or coop eggs are rare. For 80 - 100 hens I find 1 or 2 a week at most.
