argh. Found an egg in the run...

[gale65]

After a month or so of laying with only 3 eggs outside the nests (but in the coop) I suddenly found a single egg in the run. It was laid in a place where they like to dig and take dirt baths. I don't know if it was a chicken that's been laying for a while or if it's someone's first egg (the most we've gotten in the nests so far is 9 from 11 pullets-they are about 24 weeks old-but only one time-mostly it's 6 or 7 a day). Either way is this anything to be concerned about? Will whoever laid it be likely to lay in a nest eventually?

 

[Baymen Moe]

I wouldn't worry. I have found the occaisional egg in the run from 2 year old hens.

 

[LoreenH]

One of my Speckled Sussex will not lay in the nest if there is any poo in it at all, it could be very small....the other 5 girls don't care. She'll lay them in the yard, in the run, on the floor of the coop. I have to check the nest box every morning just in case there might be a little poo in it. They can be so silly.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Today I found an egg in the run, the last time I found an egg in the run, was Sept. 1st. The very first egg. I think one of the hens got a bit pissy, and tossed out the egg, when it was in the nest she likes to use. I have a couple who are like that, they only like to use a certain nest box, and if another hen is using it, they will squawk up a storm till it is empty. Lol

 

[gale65]

Quote:

Shockingly enough, after all this time, there has been no poo at all in the nest boxes. There's an occasional muddy shaving when it's been raining and I just pick those out but no poo. At least none that looks like poo...

This egg in the run was covered in poo so I pitched it. I didn't know how long it had been there since I don't go in the run every day and with all the junk on it I didn't want to mess with it. Sorry, chicken.

 

[erinszoo]

We have one girl that always lays wherever she happens to be at the time it strikes her to lay and she never even tried to make a nest or dig a hole or anything. She just squats, cackles, and lays. Sigh. The rest of the girls always use the nest boxes or the hay bales.

 

[gale65]

Found another one. Tucked under the old coop. I knew I shouldn't have been gloating to myself about not having to put my boots on to gather eggs since we built the new coop.

 

[gale65]

No more eggs in the run since Friday but today, 2 eggs in the coop (but not in the nests). Not sure if both were laid today-the last time I was in the coop and would have for sure seen them was Thursday afternoon. I probably did a quick check Friday but these were in a place that I could have easily missed them. Saturday I left early in the morning and got home well after dark so I just gathered from the nests and did a quick run check. So the longest they could have been in there is since Friday. One was beneath the roost and poopy.

Dangit.

Is it possible I don't have enough nest boxes? I have 3 boxes for 11 pullets. I can't add more with outside access-at least not easily.

 

[Dar]

I have 4 nests and only 2 are ever used but I will find the girls laying in the corners of the coop... esp if i have added new straw they dont like that..

 

[gale65]

Another egg in the coop today-same place I found the one yesterday. Same exact shade of brown so it's probably the same chicken. Will it do any good to put something to block that corner? Would that maybe make her more likely to use the nests?