Eggs lost in deep litter

[RonoKT]

I have my first laying flock coming in to lay now and am raising them in deep litter, I have found a few eggs slightly buried in the litter. I raised some broilers in deep litter and I was very happy with the method and have continued to be until they started laying. I've read another thread about this but I still have some questions. If I find eggs buried should I be float testing them? Will they get more careful with their eggs as they get older? I have given them a few laying boxes also with deep litter but they often choose to make a nest in the deep litter elsewhere.

 

[lazy gardener]

All float testing will tell you is how old the egg is, based on the size of the air cell. Wash all such eggs very well, dry them, and crack into a plate or bowl before using them. Where are the nest boxes? Those birds may have a hard time getting UP into a nest box. If you provide a nice roomy box on the floor in a dark corner, that may be more to their liking.

 

[RonoKT]

At this point I'm not too worried by them because they have just started laying, their eggs cannot be old enough to worry about but I will have to start storing the mystery eggs separately. The main box is currently a nice roomy box on the floor, there are just a few other nice cosy places in their coop as it is my greenhouse so I have planting that is raised to give them space to walk underneath.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have found by putting something like a bucket in their chosen spot, they will often go on to use the nest box. Or once you find their favorite spots, just check them.

My nests have always been up off the floor a bit.

Mrs K

 

[RonoKT]

i have a bucket which has been totally ignored. As my coop is actually my greenhouse there is some compromise in the design, I expect j will just have to keep looking for the eggs for now, I have a planned extension that will give me a more separate laying area that they would hopefully take to. I think I will just get into the habit of cracking eggs into a glass before putting them into something I case I come across an old one.

 

[aart]

i have a bucket which has been totally ignored. As my coop is actually my greenhouse there is some compromise in the design, I expect j will just have to keep looking for the eggs for now, I have a planned extension that will give me a more separate laying area that they would hopefully take to. I think I will just get into the habit of cracking eggs into a glass before putting them into something I case I come across an old one.

No, you put the bucket, or something else, in the place that they want to lay to keep them away from it.
Put some fake eggs/golf balls in the nest where you do want them to lay to entice them to lay there.

 

[RonoKT]

Oh okay. Thanks for clarifying that. I'll try it.