New egg layer stopped laying?? Should I be concerned?

[Jojomarie23]

I am a new chicken mama, and my chickens are 16 weeks old. I have 2 black sex linked, 2 ISA browns, and two misc colored eggers. I have gotten two brown eggs, and one blue egg already, but I felt this is super early to be laying. Should I be concerned that they aren't laying daily ? Also, how do I train them to go in the nesting boxes? The first 2 brown eggs were laid under their ramp in their run, and the blue egg actually was laid while she was on the roosting bar, so it unfortunately broke in the fall. (and since it broke I am pretty sure they started eating it because I found pieces on the other side of the coop. What to do I do? I have fake eggs in their nesting boxes and I know they are going in there because my shavings and eggs have been moved. HELP. I am nervous that they are going to become egg eaters now before they even start really laying. But luckily I haven't found any residue of any anywhere since that incident.

 

[2ndTink]

Some chickens will lay their first egg and then wait up to a few weeks before laying any others, so I wouldn't worry about not having eggs past the first ones yet. They might lay their first one or two in odd spots but if they know where the nesting boxes are they will typically figure things out on their own.

If they do figure out the nesting boxes you shouldn't have an issue with egg eating, but a broken egg is really hard for them to resist. I have a coop of egg eaters, my fault, I had garbage bins of feed on their coop and they started laying on top of them so the eggs would roll off and splat on the floor. I don't know how many they ate before I figured out what was going on, they are hard core egg eating addicts now. I removed the bins, tried several different nesting boxes, and finally ended up getting roll away boxes as a last resort and they do well with that. Previously it was 12 chickens and only getting none to 2 eggs a day I do have one that lays off the roost fairly consistently, no hope for those eggs.

Maybe put extra bedding under the roost to help cushion the drop for the egg if they lay off the roost again, if it has a good shell and isn't broken they should be ok.

 

[Jojomarie23]

Some chickens will lay their first egg and then wait up to a few weeks before laying any others, so I wouldn't worry about not having eggs past the first ones yet. They might lay their first one or two in odd spots but if they know where the nesting boxes are they will typically figure things out on their own.

If they do figure out the nesting boxes you shouldn't have an issue with egg eating, but a broken egg is really hard for them to resist. I have a coop of egg eaters, my fault, I had garbage bins of feed on their coop and they started laying on top of them so the eggs would roll off and splat on the floor. I don't know how many they ate before I figured out what was going on, they are hard core egg eating addicts now. I removed the bins, tried several different nesting boxes, and finally ended up getting roll away boxes as a last resort and they do well with that. Previously it was 12 chickens and only getting none to 2 eggs a day I do have one that lays off the roost fairly consistently, no hope for those eggs.

Maybe put extra bedding under the roost to help cushion the drop for the egg if they lay off the roost again, if it has a good shell and isn't broken they should be ok.

Thank you! I know they are scoping the nesting boxes out because of the changes in them, so fingers crossed they start laying there soon!!

 

[2ndTink]

Do you have them on layer feed now?

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree in that they are rather sporadic with laying especially at first. I would put bedding deeply under the roosts, for all sorts of reasons. While all of mine will eat an broken egg, mine are not egg eaters.

Picture of your nests, might help us give you advice... says the lady that right now has 4 perfect nests, that birds have been laying in for decades, and her current girls prefer a corner in the bedding - but hey, I can find them, they are clean and not broken...

Mrs K

 

[Jojomarie23]

Do you have them on layer feed now?

I officially just switched them! They just finished their grower feed 2 days ago so I just switched them! Do you supplement with oyster shells?

 

[Jojomarie23]

I agree in that they are rather sporadic with laying especially at first. I would put bedding deeply under the roosts, for all sorts of reasons. While all of mine will eat an broken egg, mine are not egg eaters.

Picture of your nests, might help us give you advice... says the lady that right now has 4 perfect nests, that birds have been laying in for decades, and her current girls prefer a corner in the bedding - but hey, I can find them, they are clean and not broken...

Mrs K

Thank you for your input! I appreciate it. Makes me feel better that they may not be egg eaters after getting a taste one time from a broken one. They do eat anything so it makes sense. This is the nesting box with fake eggs in it.

 

[2ndTink]

I officially just switched them! They just finished their grower feed 2 days ago so I just switched them! Do you supplement with oyster shells?

I always keep some oyster shell out for them, even having them on layer feed. They eat it as they need, some birds need more calcium than others. The layer feed will do the bulk of their nutritional needs. I'm just starting to learn about poultry nutrition, but others on here can help on that way more! I use Nutrina Naturwise sometimes the 16% layer feed, sometimes Feather Fixer.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Nests look fine and it's a good sign they've been going in and messing around in them. It's normal for them to eat the contents of broken or soft shelled eggs, it doesn't mean they'll become egg eaters, and normal for new layers to be sporadic. Very few birds will lay daily anyhow as on average it takes 26-27 hours to form an egg, when they're in full production.

 

[Chick TV]

Thank you! I know they are scoping the nesting boxes out because of the changes in them, so fingers crossed they start laying there soon!!

Put fake eggs in the nesting boxes. It will hint to the chickens that this is where other hens have laid because they feel it is a safe spot. Soon everyone will be laying there exclusively.