FIRST EGG! But it wasn't in the nest....

Date sort Score sort
ourlilfarm2015

ourlilfarm2015

Chirping
6 Years
Apr 2, 2016
33
8
89
Northeast NE
Do I need to worry yet? Or change something?

One of my 10 silver laced Wyandotte hens laid the first egg today but it was on the ground outside in their run...
400


The nesting "boxes" have been in there approximately 2 or 3 weeks (saw the idea on pinterest).
400
 
Put fake egg/golf balls in a couple more of the nests....I would not use a real egg for this purpose.
They can get very rambunctious scratching in the nests when they first start laying, good change that real egg could get broken in the nest or flung out of the nest.

Have they been exploring the nests at all?
You may need to put a perch about 8" out in front of the nest bank, so they can hop up and take a look before entering a nest.
I'd also take some of the bedding out of nests, 5 gal buckets are kind of tight space wise, so less bedding will give them more room to move around comfortably.

Also it can take some time, up to a month or so, for them to get the hang of things......
...Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.
 
Last edited:
Congrats you your first egg! Yep, the young pullets who just start to lay will seemingly drop an egg where they stand. And that is exactly what they do! They get all frantic and carry on with the clucking and so forth then stop, squat, strain a bit and out pops the egg. Some will inspect the egg like, what the heck just came out of my fanny? And others are like, I didn't do that. Nope. Don't know where that came from. And then there is the rare pullet who will turn around and eat the egg.

The first timers will lay eggs in assorted places. Don't worry, they'll soon learn where to put the eggs. Remember, in a natural setting, older hens will lay an egg in an approved location which will tell the newbies where to lay. Since we have placed chickens in a more artificial environment expect some confusion as to where to put the egg. Don't worry though, most pullets figure out where the egg should go.
 
Update :
Now one hen has laid her last two eggs in the dirt UNDER the nesting buckets. But I have a naughty hen who has laid 4 eggs in a row IN THE WATER IN THE DUCK POOL! ?
 
I would put the next boxes at ground level where they can look right it. It will be easier for them to get into the buckets too, seems like a tight fit to me.??

Mine laid eggs all over the place the first two weeks.
 
I haven't had a single egg laid outside a nest. I put golf balls in the minute I finished them and they are in the most secure area under the poop board in the back of the coop. Now I have rock eggs in there because they kept kicking out the golf balls.
 
ourlilfarm2015 said:
Update :
Now one hen has laid her last two eggs in the dirt UNDER the nesting buckets. But I have a naughty hen who has laid 4 eggs in a row IN THE WATER IN THE DUCK POOL! ?
Click to expand...
Are you positive the eggs in the pond are chicken eggs?
Typical for ducks, but never heard of a chicken doing that.

5 gal buckets are tight.....and they need a perch in front of nests....or lower them to the floor like carlf suggested.
 
Got egg laying location issues all solved thanks to everyone's advice. Now my first egg was 9/9 then around 9/14-15 I began getting 2 eggs a day. It is now 10/15 and I still only get 2 eggs a day. Wondering why it is taking so long for the other 8 to start laying. All are the same age (at least all 10 were purchased the same day and it was the same day their shipment came into bomgaars and they were all the same size)
 

Similar threads

G
    • Like
Won't lay in nest box
Replies
7
Views
666
Gma213
G
Buddys mom
Squirrel or chicken moving fake egg
Replies
6
Views
763
Buddys mom
Buddys mom
TinyRaptorDodos
Odd nest/broody places
Replies
1
Views
311
Evadig
Evadig
BiggDeal
    • Like
First Egg! Finally 😂 Questions
2
Replies
11
Views
1K
Happy hen lover
Happy hen lover
Quail_
    • Like
Egg being kicked out of nest
Replies
4
Views
277
Quail_
Quail_

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom