Wow are you serious!

[Domestic_goddess]

I've got 24 hens, in a variety of ages from 1 to 3 and I've only been getting 5-10 eggs, couldn't figure it out! Well while cleaning out the coop today, I moved some metal nesting boxes and behind them were "4 DOZEN" eggs, I just about died! Are you serious? They were hidding them from me.LOL...naughty girls! Anyone have this happen. Now that I'm on to them, I'll find those eggs now Sad part is that I don't know how long most of them had been there, so I had to discard them all

 

[gritsar]

Naughty girls!

Nah, mine don't hide eggs. They just flat out take over a nestbox, steal eggs from all the other nestboxes, then tell me...."Listen Human! We're going broody and there's not a dang thing you can do about it!"

 

[Paraclete]

I have a duck that did that. I was just talking about giving her food to maybe get her to lay again because she hadn't in like a year, don't have a male duck anymore and wasn't using laying food. Anyways I was doing some cleaning and happened to see some white behind an old dog house. I go back there and start digging around, she had a large pile of 19 eggs hidden back there. Here I was thinking my duck was just eating and pooing and doing nothing more. Turns out she was popping out eggs for a while, so proud of her now. Lol didn't have a name for her before besides "the duck" now it's "Quack Quack."

 

[Domestic_goddess]

Quote:
That's so crazy, cute little bugger

 

[Illia]

I've found 2 dozen all nestled under an old layer goat poo in the goat's barn one time, but 4 dozen??! Wow!!


(the thing is, telling by the color of eggs and my flock changes, I know those eggs were more than 3 weeks old, yet none were rotten. . . and it gets pretty warm there)

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I haven't cleaned behind the metal nesting boxes in a while, haven't seen the need. They are tucked up against a shelving unit and never would have thought they would squeeze behind it and lay there. Boy was I wrong! I've got about 12 very nice other nesting boxes too!

 

[mandelyn]

When I first got my birds I had to keep them caged while we finished the coops, big XXL dog crates so I could install a nest box and all chicken comforts for the week. But it wasn't good enough for a little blue Cochin hen. She paced and paced, screamed and yelled, ultimately ALWAYS finding a way to a escape (dog kennel on the side of the shed, hole in the shed, lined up the crates to give them run access) She could squeeze through the smallest space! She'd sneak out to lay her egg under a nearby bush along the driveway.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

About 6 weeks ago, then hens started laying again, but the numbers were off. I knew my one EE hen, who has hidden eggs before, HAD to be laying. I watched and watched. Nothing. Then, one day, hubby went up to the second floor of the barn, half of which is open to the whole barn, some parts with just floors, but no walls. One area is filled with old doors and windows from the house. Hubby moved a door and found 2 dozen, frozen solid, blue eggs. Grrrrrrrrrrr. She was flying up to the second floor, walking across a beam, and going behind the door (which was propped against a wall). This is the silly hen who laid inside a big ball of deer fence, and inside a snowblower attachment...

 

[donrae]

Mine free range so every day is an egg hunt

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
IMO, it shouldn't be. I have two free range flocks. The girls lay in their nestboxes. If they choose not to, they can spend some time getting to know their coop really well. I don't have time for easter egg hunts.