The case of the disappearing hen

I know I didn't get a chance to post much the rest of the weekend (more on that later), but as it turns out, Freebie came back Saturday morning (feathers badly ruffled), only to disappear again on Saturday night. I asked the online chicken-raising experts (namely, the Backyard Chickens forum) what might be going on, and they suggested that Freebie was going broody, and might be setting on a nest somewhere in the yard.

Well, this morning, I found the culprit:



Nestled within the hostas growing along the side of the barn, there was a perfectly-formed little nest with 18 Freebie eggs comfortably inside.

It was sheer luck and good timing that I found the nest. I was calling Freebie this morning again, hoping she'd show up for breakfast. I happened to be on the other side of the barn, away from the coop, when I saw Freebie appear in the hostas and trample them on her way towards the grain bin. Following her tracks led me to the nest - to say I was astonished would be putting it lightly! Mostly, I'm sad because that would have made a lot of omelets.

I'm not sure what the correct course of action will be. I don't want to dismantle the nest until I know what to do - should I just dismantle it completely and remove all traces of the dug-up dirt and nest material? Or should I move the eggs into the coop so that Freebie can set them there? I'm asking around, so with any luck, I should have the answer by tonight.