Back surgery 8/19. Supposed to take it easy.
My chickens have been getting this traffic jam in the nesting boxes. Seems 8 pullets have decided that they need to lay right now. At whatever time of day, at the same moment. They also decide that the boxes are crowded and it is not in their interest to wait, so they find a spot and lay their egg elsewhere. Never two in the same spot, and I can literally watch them leave the coop and start searching. Most times I can here them back and they lay in coop. There are three that do this. My dark egg layers.
Finally today I found an egg right next to my patio, so the wife and I decide to rip thenest boxes off side of coop and make them larger, and go from 4 to 6 boxes. Started at 5 pm after everyone had their turn laying. 630 the broody decided she was taking her mob to bed. So I ran them into the little coop to nap. 645 the chickens were walking among us questioning our sanity as to why we weren’t going to bed. So we relented and gave them some quiet time to get on roost. Then the 3 teenager pullets (14ish weeks) of course didn’t wander into the coop until 730.
All in all we closed the holes and will finish in the morning. Went from four 12x12x17 boxes at floor level to 3 13x17x15 boxes at 18 inches off the floor and three 13x17x15 boxes at ground level. (Once the dividers go in first thing tomorrow)
They are getting locked in again for a week. And if they don’t like the boxes, I will be enjoying some dumplings. Don’t care if it’s 99 degrees outside.
My chickens have been getting this traffic jam in the nesting boxes. Seems 8 pullets have decided that they need to lay right now. At whatever time of day, at the same moment. They also decide that the boxes are crowded and it is not in their interest to wait, so they find a spot and lay their egg elsewhere. Never two in the same spot, and I can literally watch them leave the coop and start searching. Most times I can here them back and they lay in coop. There are three that do this. My dark egg layers.
Finally today I found an egg right next to my patio, so the wife and I decide to rip thenest boxes off side of coop and make them larger, and go from 4 to 6 boxes. Started at 5 pm after everyone had their turn laying. 630 the broody decided she was taking her mob to bed. So I ran them into the little coop to nap. 645 the chickens were walking among us questioning our sanity as to why we weren’t going to bed. So we relented and gave them some quiet time to get on roost. Then the 3 teenager pullets (14ish weeks) of course didn’t wander into the coop until 730.
All in all we closed the holes and will finish in the morning. Went from four 12x12x17 boxes at floor level to 3 13x17x15 boxes at 18 inches off the floor and three 13x17x15 boxes at ground level. (Once the dividers go in first thing tomorrow)
They are getting locked in again for a week. And if they don’t like the boxes, I will be enjoying some dumplings. Don’t care if it’s 99 degrees outside.
