I have decided the chickens are insane.
That or they are trying to drive ME insane.
We are letting them free range which we understand is healthier for them but they really go everywhere. We find them pecking at the yurt. We find them in the garden. We find them in Luke's pen. We even find them in the neighbor's horse corral. Nothing I like more than chasing chickens all over the neighborhood. *sigh*
Better yet, they are laying their eggs all over as well. It's like a daily egg hunt to figure out where they have decided to plop that day. The hubby built them a spiffy henhouse so you would think they would like that - OH NO! Only a few of the 12 eggs a day end up there. We thought only a fraction of the 12 hens were laying and were concerned until I decided to feed some corn stalks to the goats. I discovered this lovely little pile of 16 eggs in a little hidey-hole in the hay pile. 16 EGGS! Who knows how long how many hens had been laying up there! *sigh* Now that I took that spot away I find eggs in the goat houses, in the hay feeders, in random places in the barn, in Luke's pen. I suppose there are probably eggs in the neighbor's horse corral but I'm not going to go looking for them.
Stupid chickens.
Or is it stupid me for hunting for them everyday?
Product Reviews, Giveaways and Life on the Farm
7 comments:
I feel your pain. I have free range ducks. Try fishing an egg out of a freezing cold creek. That will wake you up on any morning!
I've heard poultry netting works well. YOu could pasture them with your goats and then only have one field to hunt in...just an idea.
I agree! Chickens are very strange birds. I once took care of hundreds of chickens (from hatching eggs to laying hens) for a pet sitting job several years ago. Crazy, crazy birds. Good luck with the egg hunt!
It's like an easter egg hunt ... LOL
Crazy chicken and poor Luke having to share his space :)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has experienced this problem! We didn't intend for our chickens to range everywhere but some of them discovered how to fly over the mesh fencing. I found eggs everywhere, including a HUGE nest of eggs behind the wheel of our two horse trailer - on the inside of the wheel under the trailer - when we moved it, there they were. I had to toss them because I had no clue how long they had been there. Crazy chickens is right!
Sigh...mine do it too.They have perfectly good nest boxes but some will lay all over the place.Not all of them though ,some are good girls and do like they are supposed to.The good ones get to avoid being Sunday dinners!I don't even bother trying to find the duck eggs any more because I never know how long the eggs have been where ever it is I find them.Crazy poultry!
Ugh. I wouldn't want to find some of those eggs a few months down the road. Ick.
I think the trick is to keep them enclosed with their laying boxes for a time period to establish THAT is the appropriate place to lay eggs. Once they form the habit then turn them loose.
I will say it worked for our first group of hens.
This group has been laying in their boxes for three months. We started turning them out to free range about two weeks ago and two of the seven mature birds are laying outside. One in a stroller seat and the other under some roses...
I think we are going to lock up the six six month old hens and teach them to lay in the BOXES!! Searching for eggs is time consuming.... as you know.
Post a Comment