Tuesday 3 July 2012

Hunting for the missing eggs

eggs on allotment Jul 12

We had one egg from our hens yesterday, or so we believed. I was beginning to wonder if they were doing an impersonation of Britain's public sector unions by going on strike. Today, whilst working on the allotment, I was, as usual, mobbed by the hens whilst digging the ground. Snow White, our coral nick, was missing. I checked the hen house but she wasn't there. I walked around the raspberry bed where they often spend time, but couldn't see her there. Then I spotted her in some well hidden undergrowth, sitting down and about to lay. I left her to it.

A few minutes later she joined me on the bed I was digging so I headed over to where she had been laying, and found 7 eggs! It looked as though at least 3 of the hens had used the impromptu nest in the last couple of days. The eggs are now in the kitchen.

I have heard from other hen keepers that hens can sometimes find hidden alternative locations to lay. So if you let your hens out into the garden or allotment, do a thorough search if egg yields appear to go down.

1 comment:

elfriide tramm said...

if they do so, they plan to have a chicken soon- they lay eggs and then sit to incubate?hatch? don't know the correct word. in this case old people suggest always left one egg to their nest (can be plastic one),then they usually continue to lay to their right nest and will not find an alternative one.