Ok, I found a secret nest in the woods.....

[Woodchick]

My hens are 18 week old sexlinks. I have been collecting 2 eggs a day from the nesting boxes for about a week and a half thinking that the other hens just weren't ready yet. I did notice one hen, every morning making a mad dash for the woods when I let them out to free range. This morning I stealthfully followed her to see where she was going. She nestled down and I waited. As soon as she left I went into the dense woods with a machete and found a beautiful protected nest of 11 eggs. I'm sure there may be more hidden nests around the yard and have read that I must leave them in the coop for 2 days to teach them the lesson of where to lay(I hate the thought of that, they do so love to free range and I love to see them happy). But what I was wondering was, are the eggs still good?

 

[lindsay297]

My grandmother used to float her free range eggs!! Take a tub of water, just enough for the egg to float or sink. If it sinks it is good and if it floats get rid of it. I have never had a egg that was rotten but, i know the fresh ones do sink. Hope this helps.

As far as the girls laying outside....do you have a run?? I found that with mine I could let them out in the run and they would go back to the nest boxes. They didnt want to do it in the open!! After a week or so of that then you could let them out and they should come back. This would give them time outside.

The other thing I thought about is when do they lay?? You could leave them in till after they lay and then let them out. Best of both worlds perhaps!!

Good luck and hope this helps.

 

[andycowboy]

My grandmother used to float her free range eggs!! Take a tub of water, just enough for the egg to float or sink. If it sinks it is good and if it floats get rid of it. I have never had a egg that was rotten but, i know the fresh ones do sink. Hope this helps.

As far as the girls laying outside....do you have a run?? I found that with mine I could let them out in the run and they would go back to the nest boxes. They didnt want to do it in the open!! After a week or so of that then you could let them out and they should come back. This would give them time outside.

The other thing I thought about is when do they lay?? You could leave them in till after they lay and then let them out. Best of both worlds perhaps!!

Good luck and hope this helps.

It's my understanding that eggs are laid pretty much first thing in the morning. I have 6 hens at laying age - they haven't started yet - and they're free range. The hens I had in the past always laid first thing in the morning. So as the girls have approached laying age - 6 of them are now about 14 weeks old, and the other 7 are about 10 weeks old (anticipate them starting about the end of August) - I have been waiting about an hour or so after sunrise to open the run door and letting them out. I haven't seen any eggs anywhere yet, but they're in the habit of being cooped for 1-2 hours after sunrise, so maybe they have the proper idea!

 

[Woodchick]

I do have a run. I do know that the two eggs I've been getting in the morning have been warm and new so they were laid right before I let them out. Maybe I could start by leaving them in the coop another hour and then letting them into the run for a few hours and check the nesting boxes. If they seem to still be laying outside I guess I will have to restrict them to the coop and run for a few days. If that doesn't work then a longer restriction will be given

I tried all the eggs for sink or float and they all sank! What a bounty!
Thank you!

 

[Woodchick]

Mine too are let out a few hours after sunrise but they have decided that laying in the woods is more preferable. The nest I found was quite nice! Maybe I should make their nesting boxes a little more rustic!