Freezing Egg/Egg near roost

[rbruno]

Hello All,
I have a two part question. I think I have the answer to the frozen egg from another thread, but my question is how do you know if an egg is frozen if the shell is not cracked? I have had several eggs over the last couple of days that have cracked and frozen. We have had a our first really really cold snap in MD. I read in the other thread that if the shell is not cracked, it is still fine to cook. So, it sounds like an egg can freeze and not crack the shell. So, basically is there a way to tell?

My second questions is about a hen laying an egg near or on the roost. The eggs I mentioned that have been frozen are coming from I think the same chicken. I have 4 hens and two laying boxes. I always have three in the boxes (two in one and one in the other. not always the same box has the two) and one back by the roost. The one by the roost is the only one that is freezing or breaking. I don't know why this one chicken is not using the box. Two of the chickens are using the same box. I am wondering if she is laying in the middle of the night and not moving off the roost to get to the box. The egg is frozen by the time I get there at 6:30AM cause it was laid in the middle of the night. Just guessing but I have found them on the roost, under, and behind the roost. I found one after it had been eaten, stepped on, or whatever cause I didn't see it behind the stump that my roost pole is on. I don't know how she would have gotten back there to lay it. I am asking if she could be sitting on the roost and just lay the egg and let it hit the floor. Maybe it is cracking before it freezes. Sometimes the egg is sitting on top the stump. Anyway, could the chicken be laying in the middle of the night and can a chicken lay an egg while sitting on the roost? And, is there anyway to fix the one not using the nest? Probably not since I am not even sure which chicken is not using the nest.
Rob

 

[cavemanrich]

I CAN TACKLE BOTH QUESTIONS..
Frozen egg. As long as shell is not cracked, egg is OK. Bring into house and it will thaw out. Second......... An egg will not freeze as quickly as a similar quantity of water. If you want to see if an egg is frozen, try this, it is a test to determine between boiled eggs and raw. Spin egg on table like a top. If it spins fast and for extended time, it is boiled. If it does not want to spin much and is sluggish, then it is raw. A frozen egg will act like a boiled egg.

Chicken laying at night off the roost is rather unusual but not totally uncommon. Most chickens lay on a 25 hour cycle. I said MOST. I don't want a herd of peeps telling me that theirs lay differently. This in theory means that each day a chickens lays an hour later than the previous day. Chickens also lay during times when there is light. When darkness arrives and has not layed an egg, hen will hold inside until morning. Then the cycle resets again. It appears that those dropping eggs at night may be considered incontinent. Chickens are not ALL PERFECT.
I don't have a cure for chicken laying outside nest. Some peeps try to encourage their hens to lay in nest boxes by placing wooden eggs or golf balls. In your case it would not help since some of your girls are already placing their eggs there. Try to make your nest boxes as comfortable as possible. Use hay or straw for bedding, I think it is more enticing than wood shavings. If all fails, than try to make landing area under roost capable of an egg landing without breaking.
Wishing you best

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hens are completely blind and at the mercy of their environment after dark. While it is not unusual for a hen to lay in her sleep, I would think that it would be impossible for her to get up in the middle of the night and take to her nest.

 

[rbruno]

Thanks for feedback. I will try the spinning trick for the frozen egg. I don't know how many bitter cold nights we will have like we had last weekend and earlier this week, but I am hoping I won't have cracked shells.

And, of all things, I posted this question yesterday and maybe just me thinking about it, today I was happy to find all four hens had laid an egg in the next boxes! First time I think ever. My hens have only been producing since mid November. After about a week or so, I have been consistently getting 4, sometimes 3, eggs in the morning. But, just about every morning there was one back by the roost. I never got 4 in the boxes till this morning. I was happy to walk in the house with 4 pristine eggs that were easy to get and clean from being in the box stuffed we hay. In fact, I was so happy that while admiring my eggs, I dropped one and it cracked on the kitchen counter! Go figure. I am going to eat that one tonight cause the shell didn't totally break and the egg stayed contained. So, that is dinner.
Rob

 

[rbruno]

Well that didn't last long. It has been two weeks since my last post on this subject and now the one hen is back to dropping an egg in the back of the coop near the roost bar. I went about two weeks without having to climb int he coop to get an egg. Now back to it. Guess it is just a chicken thing and something I need to deal with. Maybe my one hen will read this post and start going back to the nest boxes like she did before.... lol
Rob

 

[rbruno]

I know everyone is going to think I am posting for the sake of posting. And if this wasn't happening to me I probably wouldn't believe it. But just like last time, I posted yesterday that one chicken was not using the box. This morning I found all four eggs in the next box. Go figure.
Rob

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Never try to figure out why a chicken does what it does, they are predictably unpredictable. Let's hope your girls get it right.

 

[JanetMarie]

The solution is simple: you just have to post when she starts laying in the wrong place

.

 

[Macis Papa]

I have a hen that lays sometime in the middle of the night. I collect eggs at dark when I shut them up, most mornings when I open the coop at or before sunrise there's an egg. When she first started laying she would lay it while on the roost. Now she lays it in the nest box and somehow manages to get back on the roost.

 

[aart]

I know everyone is going to think I am posting for the sake of posting. And if this wasn't happening to me I probably wouldn't believe it. But just like last time, I posted yesterday that one chicken was not using the box. This morning I found all four eggs in the next box. Go figure.
Rob

I swear I've seen that happen soooo many times!