2 pullets laying eggs from their roost HELP!

[Kelliejanine]

My pullets just started laying I have 4 laying and one just started today and the other yesterday and both of those 2 are dropping their eggs from their high up roost breaking them. I have 2 nesting boxes and one of the pullets who dropped her egg today laid in the box yesterday. So what’s going on? The boxes weren’t occupied the other two girls laid in the morning. Is this normal? How can I prevent them dropping the eggs from their roost?

 

[azygous]

This is pretty much normal for brand new layers. Did you by any chance restrict them from the nest boxes before? Usually, pullets approaching point of lay are drawn to the nest boxes a couple weeks before they lay the first egg.

They makes a huge mess, "playing house", and a lot of folks just block off the nests because they don't want the mess. The pre-play gets the pullet accustomed to the nest boxes, but still some don't make the connection right away. I've found new pullet eggs in some strange places, sometimes right beside the nest boxes.

Laying their egg from the perch happens when new layers aren't quite sure yet what it feels like when an egg is needing to be laid, and they end up dropping it wherever they happen to be at the time.

The good news is your pullets will figure it out pretty quickly. You really don't need to do much of anything other than if you see them curling up in an inappropriate place, gently move them to a nest box.

 

[Kelliejanine]

This is pretty much normal for brand new layers. Did you by any chance restrict them from the nest boxes before? Usually, pullets approaching point of lay are drawn to the nest boxes a couple weeks before they lay the first egg.

They makes a huge mess, "playing house", and a lot of folks just block off the nests because they don't want the mess. The pre-play gets the pullet accustomed to the nest boxes, but still some don't make the connection right away. I've found new pullet eggs in some strange places, sometimes right beside the nest boxes.

Laying their egg from the perch happens when new layers aren't quite sure yet what it feels like when an egg is needing to be laid, and they end up dropping it wherever they happen to be at the time.

The good news is your pullets will figure it out pretty quickly. You really don't need to do much of anything other than if you see them curling up in an inappropriate place, gently move them to a nest box.

Thank you for the information. I’ve never restricted them from the boxes but the boxes have only been in for maybe 3 weeks. I’m glad that’s normal for new layers.

 

[Perris]

azygous describes well exactly what I have experienced. I would just add that some girls get it quicker than others! And if your coop has low roosts, like mine, the eggs usually survive the drop

 

[Melky]

I blocked the area where the egg is layed if not in box. Then they all go in the box. I would block the area where your eggs are sitting. They will catch on.