Wednesday, August 25, 2010

a-HAH!

I knew it!

Some of the girls have been laying eggs in secret (yet undisclosed) places since they've been free-ranging - grrr!

I got suspicious when the daily egg collection
dwindled down to about this:

Yep, a dozen eggs for over twenty laying hens - not normal!

I figured ok, a couple were molting, a couple were broody or coming off broodiness, a couple stopped laying for no apparent reason whatsoever... but come on, it's ridiculous - where the heck are those eggs?

This morning I found a hen in the garage, nesting in an empty box. I picked her up and brought her to the coop. Five minutes later she was back in the garage, trying to get comfortable in another corner - on a cement floor! Back to the coop and into a nesting box. The third time I caught her in the garage, I secured her in one of the chicken condos and not five minutes later - bam, a big perfect egg.

Gooaahhhh! What am I going to do?

Short of locking them all up just to get a few more eggs per day, there's nothing much I *can* do. I've searched high and low for those missing hen fruit but nada. Thems good hiders!

Ah well. Eggs are supposed to be a side-benefit to owning a big flock of sweet birds, not the main purpose. It's end of summer, soon cold winter will settle in and there will be plenty of time to collect eggs while we all wait impatiently for spring to arrive.

For now they have the run of the land and my blessing to go with it.

I love my (stubborn)(adventurous) girls!

-Technodoll aka Columbus Mama Hen

6 comments:

Jayme Goffin, The Coop Keeper said...

Same thing here! I suspect I'll find them after I cut all the perennials down. I did find two today - IN THE DUCK NEST! I just found the duck nest today under a bush - 10 duck eggs, two chicken eggs. Should be interesting! I feel that letting them free range is a good reason to get a few less eggs.

prin said...

I suspect you'll smell them later. :D

Anonymous said...

I used to leave the door to my horse trailer open with a little hay in the hanging hay bags. They would stand in line to lay their eggs in there. And so easy to collect!

C said...

they'll turn up... it'll be a surprize!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

That is pretty funny! I can't believe you can't find them. They sound so happy.

Anonymous said...

That is too funny. Typical women!!! I agree with Prin, you may find more later, stinky.