Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: ali2 on May 24, 2011, 09:26

Title: 'Escaping' to lay eggs
Post by: ali2 on May 24, 2011, 09:26
We've had two new chickens about two weeks now and for the last five or six days one has kept escaping from the run .... not quite sure how haven't actually got to see her do it yet ...not several times a day but at around the same time every morning she appears to have disappeared ....finally found her yesterday when she popped her head up from the back of the compost heap rosey like mad and I suddenly cottoned on to the fact that she must be laying her eggs there....when I looked later after leaving her there sure enough there was just one egg ..(.however do think there might have been more as she's been 'missing' from the run for a few days now and maybe the fox has taken them overnight  - as it did some duck eggs we once had from around our pond).  So looks like untill she cottons on to what the nest boxes are for looks like I will be having a daily scramble over the quite big compost heap to collect her eggs !

We did have a couple of years ago when we started having chickens one that used to like trotting down the garden - in thick snow at times too  - to lay her egg in our garage !!

Has anyone else got a chicken which insists on layin her eggs in strange places ?
Title: Re: 'Escaping' to lay eggs
Post by: Kathie on May 24, 2011, 10:35
One of little ones we hatched last June has taken to laying out over the last three weeks.

She became very noisy and agitated then firstly started laying in the cat house.  After we found them she took to laying in the hedge, then over the fence at the top a a hill in the braken belonging to the farm next door!
Now she has laid in the wood pile for the last 3 days.  It certainly keeps us on our toes, fortunately we have the luxury of being home all day so have the time to spy.  :D
Best of luck
Title: Re: 'Escaping' to lay eggs
Post by: Pertelotte on May 27, 2011, 20:54
How about right at the back of a bramble/nettle patch?

Edith and Boudicca have each been vying for the position of Head Girl haven't been laying for the past couple of days. Or so I thought. Having been presented today with a single egg I decided to go a-wandering to find that not only have Edith and Boudicca found alternative accommodation, but the rest have cottoned on before I have.

I now have nettle stings and scratches to match the beak marks on my lip.

Thanks, girls!
Title: Re: 'Escaping' to lay eggs
Post by: bantam novice on May 27, 2011, 21:25
Anyone got round to designing protective hen-and-nettle proof clothing  :D
Title: Re: 'Escaping' to lay eggs
Post by: Oliveview on May 28, 2011, 08:30
One of our girls flies up to the shading net and lays there, we had over 17 eggs there before we realised :ohmy:
Pamela