The Mystery Pile of Eggs

[Wendy Bee]

So we had a less-than-normal week (Sunday-Saturday) of egg laying last week, from a more normal of 61 eggs down to 49 eggs.

This week, on Sunday, 8 eggs, and on Monday, 7 eggs. Pretty good! Went out Monday night to rake and close up the run, started raking, turned around, and saw this on the ground in the run:

We have been checking every day for hens laying in weird places, and I'm SURE on of my EEs is hiding eggs in the great outdoors (they free range in the daytime), but WHERE the heck did this pile come from?! And not one of them was from the EE!

That particular spot is a spot we ALWAYS check, because we will often find one or two eggs there. The Roos make a little nest there and the hens oblige and lay eggs there occasionally. But I've never seen 7 eggs there!

I have 12 laying hens and 9, 12 week old pullets. And Monday I got 14 eggs. And 7 of them between 2 or 3 pm and dusk! I messaged my daughter and asked her if she saw them before work or if she was playing a joke on me (she leaves around 2pm), and she said that no, the eggs were definitely not there earlier, she had looked.

There are just not any places to hide 7 eggs in that run. The eggs were all clean; they had not been buried.

I'm so confused. I got 14 eggs in one day from 12 hens? And not one egg that day from one of the EEs. And they've been laying, but not like gangbusters like they did in the early Spring. Total of 65 eggs last week.

So weird. Just sitting here munching on some egg salad wondering . . .

Any ideas?

 

[Anime2lover]

So we had a less-than-normal week (Sunday-Saturday) of egg laying last week, from a more normal of 61 eggs down to 49 eggs.

This week, on Sunday, 8 eggs, and on Monday, 7 eggs. Pretty good! Went out Monday night to rake and close up the run, started raking, turned around, and saw this on the ground in the run:

View attachment 3172390

We have been checking every day for hens laying in weird places, and I'm SURE on of my EEs is hiding eggs in the great outdoors (they free range in the daytime), but WHERE the heck did this pile come from?! And not one of them was from the EE!

That particular spot is a spot we ALWAYS check, because we will often find one or two eggs there. The Roos make a little nest there and the hens oblige and lay eggs there occasionally. But I've never seen 7 eggs there!

I have 12 laying hens and 9, 12 week old pullets. And Monday I got 14 eggs. And 7 of them between 2 or 3 pm and dusk! I messaged my daughter and asked her if she saw them before work or if she was playing a joke on me (she leaves around 2pm), and she said that no, the eggs were definitely not there earlier, she had looked.

There are just not any places to hide 7 eggs in that run. The eggs were all clean; they had not been buried.

I'm so confused. I got 14 eggs in one day from 12 hens? And not one egg that day from one of the EEs. And they've been laying, but not like gangbusters like they did in the early Spring. Total of 65 eggs last week.

So weird. Just sitting here munching on some egg salad wondering . . .

Any ideas?

Do your neighbors have free range hens??

 

[nuthatched]

They might have had another nest and moved it, I'm pretty sure hens can carry eggs in their armpits (wingpits?) If they really want to.

 

[Wendy Bee]

Do your neighbors have free range hens??

We're out in the country and do have neighbors with free range chickens, but they're across the road and a couple of acres away. And the closest neighbor only has 4 hens.

Contrary to popular belief, it is my observation that most chickens simply do NOT cross the road .

 

[Wendy Bee]

They might have had another nest and moved it, I'm pretty sure hens can carry eggs in their armpits (wingpits?) If they really want to.

Now that's something I'd like to see, lol!

I did water test all the eggs before making the egg salad I'm currently snacking on. They were all fresh eggs - stayed firmly on the bottom of the bowl.

 

[Anime2lover]

We're out in the country and do have neighbors with free range chickens, but they're across the road and a couple of acres away. And the closest neighbor only has 4 hens.

Contrary to popular belief, it is my observation that most chickens simply do NOT cross the road .

Ah, then it isn't one of theirs.

 

[aart]

Pranker?

 

[Wendy Bee]

Pranker?

We have seven kids, but 1 of the 7 lives out of state and 4 of the 7 are visiting her and her family leaving 2 adult kids here. Husband would have owned up, not him. One daughter covered above; the other daughter was hibernating in her room after a long shift at work (I did ask her - she would have owned up, too, not her).

I did have a friend over who was helping me clean out our attic, but it couldn't have been her - we were busy in the attic the whole time!