Egg hiding EEs

[mom'sfolly]

Does anyone else have this issue? Only my EEs do this, and it is so annoying. They seem to like private, hidden and totally inconvenient laying areas. They have never been broody, but hide eggs. I have two 3 year old birds and two that are just 6 months old, and they all do it to a certain degree. Today, in the mud, I hauled the latest hide out from under the smaller, raised coop. I had fenced around three sides, and thought they couldn't get under the fourth side. This was after last summer's vacation cache of two dozen eggs. But one of the new layers was missing, so I dug around the pen until I found her, under the coop, with four eggs.

I have four nest boxes in one coop and two in another, and I also have a hidey hole set up in the shed. The EEs lay in the compost bin, behind the compost bin (must be a contortionist to remove the eggs), behind the big coop and under the little one and occasionally in the nest box. There are only ten hens so they have plenty of choice in nesting area. I've even changed the nesting material to be like the leaves they are laying on other places. They aren't interested.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get them to lay where they are supposed to? Does anyone else's EEs do this. The BOs, RIRs, SLW and single cross bird are all good girls who lay nice brown eggs in entirely appropriate places.

ARGHHH!!!

 

[adkchickmama]

Yes my EE's are very wily and secretive about where they will lay their eggs. I have SLW, BA and BO, everyone lays in the boxes but was missing any green or blue eggs. Hubby found a cache of them (32) out back in the scrap pile under a an old dryer housing.

Boo hoo all my pretty blue eggs , tossed that day... Must be their nature.