Just found eggs???

[Farming Feathers]

We (my wife and I) have inherited two hens from our neighbor...both have been staying on our property for nearly a month. The hens are free ranging so we have not been looking for eggs, but Thursday my wife came home from school and saw one hen at the base of a tree and became concerned there was a problem, but the bird left as she approached and when she looked at the location found a dozen eggs...we don't know how long they have been there, but we have tried and enjoyed eating 6 of them already...they were good
We don't know where the other bird is laying but know she is at egg laying age...I'm trying to setup a makeshift coop for them to winter and give me time to acquire materials and build a coop that is permanent. At least it's now a start even if I was not ready for it...Larry

 

[Farming Feathers]

Forgot the most important question...if a hen is seeking to raise chicks...when the eggs are first laid...does the hen stay on them all the time...I ask since we're not sure if she is trying to start a hatching....personally I don't think she would leave the eggs unattended for long periods of time (which is what she is doing), but not being sure I ask of you who would likely know the answer...Larry

 

[pennyJo1960]

Forgot the most important question...if a hen is seeking to raise chicks...when the eggs are first laid...does the hen stay on them all the time...I ask since we're not sure if she is trying to start a hatching....personally I don't think she would leave the eggs unattended for long periods of time (which is what she is doing), but not being sure I ask of you who would likely know the answer...Larry

Glad you decided to join us Larry there must be a rooster to hatch eggs and yes the hen would stay on them and usually go after anyone wanting to remove them...
there are many ideas for coops on our coop pages

 

[lazy gardener]

Hey, Larry! Glad you found your gal's hidden stash. Here's the low down: A pullet or hen will lay eggs on a daily, or semi daily basis. Some pullets/hens never go broody. Broodiness is a hormonal state that causes the hen to hoard eggs. She will hoard her own eggs, and may even steal them from an other hen. Often hens will share a nest, so there will be eggs from several hens in one nest. The broody hen will wait until she has a clutch of eggs collected, then she will STOP LAYING. At that time, she will go broody. Broodiness is accompanied by behavioral changes. She'll puff her feathers and look like a puffer fish. She'll hunker down onto the nest like a pancake. If you lift her off the nest (careful, cause she'll try to remove your fingers, and will strike lightening fast!) she may stay in her puffed up pancake pose where you set her. She may pull her breast feathers to expose more skin, therefore more body heat to her eggs. This is called a broody patch. She will often emit a low pitched constant cluck, cluck, especially when she is off the nest. She will morph into Godzilla and utter horrific shrieks of indignation if any one approaches her nest or happens to look at her. She'll stay on the nest day and night, only coming off as needed for a quick meal, drink, dust bath, and to drop the largest most stinky turd you could imagine could come from such a small animal. Then, she'll rush back to her nest.

Hopefully, you'll get a coop and nest box set up for them soon. You will then need to train them to the coop and nest. That's a subject for an other thread.

 

[Farming Feathers]

Thank you for the information and at a time past I posted she (Fancy) is up at strange hours searching for food at 2:30 AM have not been up at that hour lately, but this morning there is a new egg (one) and that found at 7:30 AM...guess I will have to start checking her hours and see if the other hen is feeding at those strange hours??? Perhaps I need to see other forum is they lay eggs during the night? She Fancy is still recovering from her molt (that was noticed when I moved in, and her feathers are really nice looking but still her tail feathers have not fully come in yet. Her eggs are nearly a medium size brown, and I think she is a Bantam, but egg size makes me think she is not Bantam. Thanks again she is new experience for me so I tend to ramble on a bit...sorry for that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ramble all you want. Rambling certainly does not offend me and if anyone else has a problem with it they can go to another thread. A lot of good information comes out of rambling.

A typical pattern with a laying hen is that they lay an egg, sometimes staying on nest a half-hour or so to lay it, sometimes longer. I remember one hen that consistently took three hours to lay her egg. Then they leave the nest until they are ready to lay another egg. They do not guard the nest or go back to it until they are ready to lay the next egg unless they go broody. LG described that. Another hen may lay in the same nest, they tend to like to lay where another hen is laying. I’ve had hens that would not allow another hen to share her nest while she is on it laying an egg, but I’ve also seen three hens on the same nest at the same time laying eggs, even with all the other nests open. With living animals and their behaviors you can never tell what will happen. That’s one reason it can be so much fun observing them.

Chickens tend to shut down at night and sleep. They don’t see really well in the dark and most predators are most active eat night, though practically any predator can also attack during daylight hours. So they typically don’t lay eggs, feed, or drink at night, they roost instead. But if they have a light where they can see they will get up and eat or drink. This gets complicated but one of their triggers in when to release a yolk that will become an egg is light. That’s to avoid them needing to lay an egg at night. My guess is that you have a security light, street light, some kind of light that is messing with their normal patterns.

Chickens and eggs come in all kinds of sizes. You can get tiny bantams, giant chickens, and everything between. If you can post some photos (probably not easy to get close the way you describe them) we might be able to tell you something about them but it’s very possible they are just a barnyard mix, not specific breed. From what you describe they could easily have a lot of “game” chicken in them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I do not feel your rambling either @Farming Feathers it is exciting to learn their methods and why a great feeling to figure out the way go about things.... ramble on alright

 

[RUNuts]

Definitely! Everyone here has let me ramble about a lot. Ask questions a lot. And learn a lot. Exciting times as my first ever flock has just started laying. And the 2 (I think) that are laying are late today.

Enjoy the ride. Please keep hands and heads inside at all times.

 

[Farming Feathers]

I thank all of you and took some photos today I have already been told the black hen is Wyandotte silver lace, and the brown hen I don't know her breed, what is noticeable the comb is flat, with no noticeable chin cone I wasn't able to capture a good shot of her face strait on as I noticed the cheek feathers stick out a bit (perhaps important) she is a beautifully feathered bird with clean edges on the feathers...any help to identify is appreciated...Oh the Wyandotte laid another egg this morning.

 

[Chickassan]

I think your brown hen is an easter egger,so colored eggs for you!