Renting a house that came with free range chickens. HELP!

[Krichie82]

We just moved into our new place and there are about 10 chickens that run the yard. Yesterday, while doing laundry on the back porch, I noticed an egg laying between the dryer and the side wall. Today, the same thing. I wasn't sure what to do, I didn't want to leave it there, so I grabbed a box and added some leaves and weeds and put the eggs in. I sat the box in the same area where I found the eggs hoping someone would care for them. Did I do the wrong thing?

 

[akelley]

I would start collecting them. A chicken won't sit on eggs all the time; only w bbc.co en her hormones tell her to (referred to as being "broody"). Maybe pitch the one you found . First since you don't know how long it was there, but the new ones you can eat!

If you want to get really into it you could build the chickens a little hut or enclosed nest that they can lay in.

Lucky you! A house with free eggs!

 

[Krichie82]

Thanks! I've always wanted chickens so I don't mind them at all. We feed them everyday and one of them is very friendly and rushes over to us as soon as she hears us pulling in the drive. If I leave the back door open she walks right in.

About the eggs. I know the first one was there no longer than two days because we just had the washer and dryer delivered and the porch was empty until then. So... should I eat them? I'd like to but I'd also love to see baby chicks. One of the other hens had 12 chicks when we moved in but within the first week they'd all been taken by predators (a hawk I'm assuming because we had the unfortunate experience of seeing the last one get taken right in front of us... those hawks are so fast!). Will the not lay on them?

Thanks so much for the advice. I'm very egg-cited!