Missing Eggs?

[ShakeragSusan]

I have 14 approximately 26 week old pullets some of which have been laying for about a month. Initially, I'd get an egg or two every other day. Then consistently 2 a day. Then, about two weeks ago, I was getting about 6 a day. One day I even got 8.
But in the last week, I have been getting between 2 & 4 eggs a day.
One pullet was laying eggs in the window box on the front of the hen house, but I took the window boxes down as the plants were all dead. Not to mention, dirt on eggs in no fun.

My concern is are they laying the eggs outside the hen house? Or are they decreasing due to the shorter days? Or is something wrong with them?

I have 2 barred rocks, 2 buff orpingtons, and the rest easter eggers. The most brown eggs I have gotten in one day is 3, so apparently one of the rocks or orps isn't laying yet.They free range most all day. They don't like the bucket nest boxes I made, but do lay in the dog crates in the floor as well as in two floor nests they made. I am not generally, supplementing their light. I have a light I turn on on cloudy or rainy days to encourage them to go into the house. Otherwise, they stand out in the rain.

Any suggestions?

 

[ShakeragSusan]

Well, part of the mystery of the missing eggs has been solved. I have a stump that is about 6 feet tall. I just found about 25 eggs in the middle.
How do I know if they are okay to eat or not? Do I just give them to the dogs? Or compost them?

How do I make sure they don't lay there anymore?

I'm awaiting some dummy eggs from a poultry supply place, so maybe that will help get them to like the nests in the hen house.

 

[Den in Penn]

The float test to see if an egg is old, is what most people use. The older an egg is the more moisture it loses, if it loses enough it floats. Or bacteria has invaded it producing gasses. The ones that don't float are still good. The ones that have floated may still be good but most people don't take a chance and throw them. Me I would feed them to the animals, opening them separate in case there is a bad one.

Disturb the place in some way so they either can't get to it or can't use it.

You can use golf balls or any thing that is round, I have heard of people using rounded rocks of the right size. Also to train them to lay in the nest box keep them in until they are done laying for the day.

 

[ShakeragSusan]

Thanks, Den. I found a second nest in the front yard behind the strawberry bed. All in all, I found 37 eggs outside the henhouse yesterday! Amazingly, with the water test, they were all good. They were also filthy. I need to get out and disturb their spots. I was going to leave them in for a while today, but I couldn't manage to get the guineas out and leave the chickens in. Some days that works, others not.

Thanks again! I see a large quiche in my future!