Will I find their nests?

[Aloha Moa]

I don't know if anybody knows the answer to this question.

So I"ve got 4 Hawaiian jungle chickens and a rooster, and they have successfully hatched 16 chicks in the last month (12 of which are growing quickly!) I want to find out where they're nesting because I want eggs! I don't need more chickens! What should I look for? And after the chicks hatch, what happens to the shell? Should I be looking for something nest-like with cracked egg shells, or will they destroy all traces of the nest so I'll never be able to find it? I've been tramping through the jungle after watching to see where they hang out at night (these birds fly 30 feet to perch on mango branches), but have not seen a trace of nest.

 

[jimnjay]

If they are more of a wild variety, she may eat the shells. If they range around your yard you could try following them /her. It pretty hard to find the nest with lots of vegetation. Only way to prevent more chicks in that situation is to eliminate the rooster.

 

[Aloha Moa]

Yeah, they probably eat the shells. Would they dismantle a nest or reuse it? I've never seen what a wild chicken nest looks like, so I don't know what to look for.

 

[jimnjay]

Chickens don't build nests like birds. They lay on the ground and it will be a nice soft spot in the grass most likely or in a bunch of leaves. There may be a slight indention but it will be very hard to detect unless eggs are in it. You might try placing a nesting box of some sort out in the yard under some bushes or someplace that is hidden and quiet. She may appreciate the straw it hold and find it appealing to try to set her eggs in.

 

[soonerdog]

My guess is that their nests are nothing more than a shallow hole scratched out in the soil under dense vegetation.