Wild hen stopped laying eggs

[jjandm]

Hello everyone -

We live in Hawaii and have lots of wild chickens in our community. One of the hens had started to lay eggs in our backyard on a glass table. Since the 5 eggs she had laid were starting to roll as she kept laying them (one every 1-2 days), and I was sure they were going to fall off the table and break, I decided to take them off the table and leave them on the ground in the same spot where the table was. The hen was just coming once a day to lay one egg at a time, lay on them for a little bit, and she would then leave to return the next day or the day after for the same routine. We have had hens do this in the past, and they would start sitting on the eggs full time after laying about 10-12 eggs. However, yesterday and today, the first two days after the eggs were moved, the hen did not lay any more eggs. Is it because she did not recognize her eggs in the new location? What should I do?

Thank you all in advance!

 

[sourland]

She probably feels that the eggs have been 'taken' possibly by a predator, and has started another clutch in a safer location.

 

[jjandm]

So she doesn’t see them at all? Or she sees them and doesn’t think those are hers?

 

[jjandm]

The eggs are in the exact same place where the little table was, just ‘downstairs’ (vs. Upstairs on the table). The table is maybe 2 feet tall. I moved the table to the side and the eggs looks like they have been moved around. She has definitely been there.