Unfortunately we consider these eggs to be totally wasted. We don't know how long they have been there - or worse.... if one of the hens has haphazardly started to set the nest. Sure you can put the eggs in a pot of cold water to see if they sink (which means they are fresh) but with these surprise nests you don't know for sure if the incubation process has started - don't ask me how I know this.
This nest was also dirty - some of the eggs had been broken - so any egg that was contaminated was sketchy at best. It's such a shame to find these bad nests - all that food has been just wasted.
So what do we do with a huge nest of bad eggs? We bury them. My husband busts out the one man auger and digs some 2 - 3 foot deep holes. I always have him dig these "egg holes" inside the garden fence so the dogs don't dig them up and it's less likely predators will find them.
All those shells will add calcium and nutrients to the soil...and my hope is that it will give the worms something to eat. After I carefully drop a couple eggs into the hole, push in some dirt to cover them, add another layer of eggs, more dirt, etc... then I will make a compost pile over that spot. The following year the soil in that area is improved and the garbage guy doesn't have to haul off a sack of rotten eggs.
This has worked really well for us. Sure we've had some horrible rotten eggs break when I've dropped them in the hole - I just quickly cover it with dirt - but so far so good. I just make sure that the last egg layer is deep enough that it won't attract unwanted attention.
As we shake off the winter and head forward into real spring and summer I'm sure we'll find more surprise nests but that is OK, we'll just find a nice spot in the garden and get digging.
Happy Thursday everyone! Have you found a surprise nest this spring?
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Stray eggs in the farm yard are harvested by Stanley. He is a Great Dane and something cross. He stalks the eggs. He sneaks up on them, gently picks them up, and then carries them to a shady spot out of view of the kitchen window and tries to figure out how to get the good stuff out without getting eggshells in his teeth. It is really funny to watch.
He is the very picture of guilty pleasure!
I just found a bad nest. It was on the other side of the fence. I came home one day last week and one of he hens was out. Found a tiny gap that they'd been slipping in and out of. Luckily this was only 10 eggs...
Oh no! We just found one of these hidden caches today - I knew the girls were holding out on us, but just didn't know where. Forget about crying over spilt milk (though my lip has quivered once or twice at that)....its those lost eggs that will inspire tears!
Oh no! We just found one of these hidden caches today - I knew the girls were holding out on us, but just didn't know where. Forget about crying over spilt milk (though my lip has quivered once or twice at that)....its those lost eggs that will inspire tears!
Ok this might be dumb, but can you feed them to the pigs? I thought they eat anything. Or would they get sick?
You can probably tell I've never owned pigs. Ha
I've only broken one bad egg and boy howdy! I wish I knew about your method!
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