Found a nest...need advice.

[BettyR]

My chickens are sort of free range but not totally. They have a one-plus-acre fenced lot that they forage on. I found a clutch of 14 eggs hidden in an old tool work box but no hen setting on them. All the eggs are the same color (blue-green)... I have 4 different breeds of chickens and only one of the breeds is an EE, so I'm kind of guessing that the clutch may be all from the same hen who is obviously roosting in the chicken house at night.

My question is, should I remove the eggs or will the hen eventually want to set on them. I don't really want one of my hens out of the chicken house at night. We live on the Southern edge of The Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas and we have a LOT of predators that would scarf her up in a heart beat.

If I move the eggs will she still want them? I don't have any hens that have gone broody right now or I would put the eggs under one. I'm stumped.

What would you do?

 

[abooth]

I would take the eggs. If they were laid by the same hen some are probably pretty old if she lays one a day. And just check that spot everyday she will probably continue to lay her eggs there even after you collect the ones you found. I hope this helps your post was slightly confusing. Did you want to hatch the eggs?

 

[BettyR]

I have never allowed any of my hens to hatch eggs. I was thinking that maybe I would like to try it but I don't know if the hen who laid these eggs would accept them if I moved them into the chicken house.

 

[schmije]

If your chicken isn't acting broody, she probably won't sit on them. Free range chickens will sometimes find a place that they like to lay eggs that is outside the coop. Just because there's a pile of eggs, it doesn't mean she wants to hatch them. We had a hen that laid an egg every day on an old blanket in our barn. We knew where to look, so we checked there every day.

 

[rufus]

Do the float test. If they sink, they pass, Then make potato salad, flan or quiche.

Rufus

 

[WriterofWords]

In my experience they will lay in the same place until they have the eggs they want to sit on and then they sit. She may want a large nest. You could try moving them in the chicken house, putting an X on them and see if anyone adds to the nest. It won't hurt to see what happens.

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
This is what I was thinking she may be doing...then again she could just have found a place to lay that she likes better. I think I'll put the eggs in a box and move them into the chicken house and see what happens.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to help...it is much appreciated!!

 

[kipoley]

Mine did that last year. I just took and scraped them.

Did she decide to hatch them?
Kimberly

 

[GaNewChick]

I have a 24/7 free range hen that took us about 2 weeks to find. She laid 28 eggs before she was ready. I wished I had found her nest sooner ...

I'm guessing she'll hatch around 10 ~ maybe.