How long should I wait?

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Depends. What are you going to do with it if you find it

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Depends. What are you going to do with it if you find it

Observe where it’s at for now. If hens come into the coop to roost tonight, then I’ll take the eggs and replace with a small number of marked eggs so they continue to lay there. If hens stay on the nest tonight, then I’d grab them or herd them back to the coop at dusk. Then take eggs and replace with marked eggs. Seems like a moot point right now as I’ve been here 15 minutes and have not heard a peep from them. Either they can see me, so they stopped making their nesting call, or they already left the nest and I’m really standing here like an idiot…

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Observe where it’s at for now. If hens come into the coop to roost tonight, then I’ll take the eggs and replace with a small number of marked eggs so they continue to lay there. If hens stay on the nest tonight, then I’d grab them or herd them back to the coop at dusk. Then take eggs and replace with marked eggs. Seems like a moot point right now as I’ve been here 15 minutes and have not heard a peep from them. Either they can see me, so they stopped making their nesting call, or they already left the nest and I’m really standing here like an idiot…

Oh, I thought you’d like not let them hatch or something. Look until the babies hatch!

 

[My2butterflies]

I’d probably give it 20-30mins and then poke around more looking for them.
I just found a nest I didn’t know about and it was obviously disturbed by some predator. Eggs were all muddy and tossed around.
I know they have a growing nest in the coop. I haven’t taken those eggs, but need to go out and mark them.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Oh, I thought you’d like not let them hatch or something. Look until the babies hatch!

We have too many predators here. Nests get raided and destroyed, and the hens would be eaten at night. If they go broody in the coop then I let them brood there, but not in our woods… I think I’m now working on half an hr and have acquired half a dozen mosquito bites!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’d probably give it 20-30mins and then poke around more looking for them.
I just found a nest I didn’t know about and it was obviously disturbed by some predator. Eggs were all muddy and tossed around.
I know they have a growing nest in the coop. I haven’t taken those eggs, but need to go out and mark them.

Darn birds must have three nests! A coop nest, one in the front prairie, and one in these woods

! I already tried the poking around several times. Hard to tell from my pic, but these woods are dense!