How DOES she do it??? any ideas?

[FisherMOM]

I think that she is done stealing eggs now.... here she was this afternoon. Now tell me.. HOW IN THE WORLD could she get eggs from that other box? because she was! It blows my mind. Chickens are smarter than we give them credit for I guess.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Oh wow. That picture really does tell a story! Hmmm.....I'm thinking she stuffed them up under her wing pits.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Are you sure the others weren't laying in her box? That seems like quite a haul for something without opposable thumbs...

 

[FisherMOM]

and as you can see.... my spring cleaning of the coop is going to have to wait another 3 weeks.

 

[FisherMOM]

Quote:
I doubt it..,, she tried to eat the the last time if they got in with her. but anything is possible.

 

[okiemommy]

I'm glad to know that I'm not going crazy!! I thought I just wasn't paying good enough attention to the egg count/ egg color when my broody ends up with more eggs or different colors than I would expect.

 

[FisherMOM]

Well, I caught her again today with another egg under her. I could just TELL by looking at her that she was hiding something from me... She was laying different and was fluffed up before I even got near her. When I lifted her a little to check for new eggs, she screamed about it.

You have to love her perseverance! The thing is, I only got ONE leghorn egg today. (and she was on it) Either the other leghorn did not lay one today, or Midnight has an egg tucked under her wing. I tried to look, but did not want her mad at me and did not want to mess up the fine job she is doing.

I will check her again tomorrow. Tomorrow will be day four. I am hoping she soon gets over this egg stealing thing... the silly, sweet bird!

 

[subdriver]

I NOW KNOW HOW THEY DO IT!!!!!
I have a small flock of Buckeyes. One of our hens went broody so we put some eggs under her. Every day I find a couple of new eggs under her (unmarked so I know it isn't one I'm trying to hatch)I just thought other hens were laying in the box with her.
Today after I let the hens out, for treats she followed another hen back into the coop.
When I went back into the coop to feed and water them I noticed the broody in a different nesting box. "What are you doing in there?" The broody was strangely silient but puffed out. I grabbed her with one hand on each side expecting a lot of drama and complaining from her ...nothing she stayed real quiet.
While I was placing her back into the nest box with the clutch I felt a lump???? " what the #$%@ is this?"
here I found an egg up along her keel bone held tight to her skin by her breast feathers! She had been stealing eggs from the other nest boxes and carrying them tightly against her skin with the breast feathers.

Unbelievable!! Just to test the theory, I let her see me put the egg in the other box then I spied on her through the window. Sure enough the siren call of the other egg was too much for her. She went over to the other box nestled down on the egg stood up no egg! She walked over to the clutch box, climbed up and settled down again on the clutch. She had moved the egg to her nest box. Determined little cuss.

-Sub-

 

[FisherMOM]

oh my gosh Sub! i wonder if someone has ever caught this on film. I m going to search YouTube.

That is so cool...mystery solved. thanks!

 

[FisherMOM]

I started catching my hens in her nest when she would get off of it to go do her thing and eat. Sadly, one egg got broken

I put up a dog crate and moved a nesting box to it. Now she can sit in peace on her 2 remaining eggs.. which will probably be roosters... just my luck! They should hatch next week.


They were all yucky from the egg breaking on them, should they be OK you think? I might go candle them to check.. She has been moved from everyone now for 2 days.