Eggs being squirreled away in hidden nest

[Bothwell]

I found one of our hens out in the woods today laying an egg... I came back later and discovered 13 eggs!!! I guess she has been doing this for at least 2 weeks. Two questions:

1. Are the eggs any good? Could humans eat them? Could a dog or the chickens eat them (cooked of course)? I cracked all of them, and every one of them "looked" normal and smelled normal.

2. What causes a hen to do that... she wasn't sitting on the eggs... just laying them in her private spot. No rooster (since about 6 weeks ago). Wow was she making a lot of noise when she discovered I "stole" them all...

Thansk for an input!

Michelle

 

[chickensforever]

I wouldn't eat or feed anybody else eggs that had been out so long. Any liquids could have gotten through the shell, and eggs that hadn't been refrigerated in so long might not be safe.

To keep her from doing it: can you close her in the coop a little longer before you let her out in the morning? This might force her to lay nearby.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. Try putting a golf ball or fake egg in the nest boxes. I swear that helped me and all of my girls now lay in the nest box. I had found some eggs in the past under a bush. Since I put the golf balls in the nest boxes they have been laying in them. Also I put some wire around the bush so she couldn't lay there any more.