Each of the clues leads to a word which sounds like it has an egg or eggs in it. The egg(s) fit into a single blank indicated by the image.. These answers are:
(Egg)SHELL
L(Egg)O
SCRAMBLED (Eggs)
DYSL(Eggs)IA
(Eggs)IT
CORN FL(Eggs)
GR(Egg) HEFFLEY
(Eggs)HALE
EL(Egg)ANT
N(Egg)ATIVE
(Eggs)CUSE
At this point, we notice that the nests contain different numbers of eggs. Besides indicating whether the answers have (Egg) or (Eggs) in them, these also serve as indices into the answers. Taking the first, second, or fourth blank of the answers, based on the number of eggs, gives the answer EGG-LAYING HENS.