Black Australorp - lay eggs on the dirt

[xbassman]

Got six black australorp hens fm Ideal Poultry in Texas and they started laying, but some are laying on the dirt floor of my coop, others are using the nests provided. Thought they would all, in time, use the nests and might yet....they have only been laying for about 3 weeks. Anyone had this problem? Solutions? Are different size combs a normal thing for this breed? Got six day old pullets, they are now 7 mo. old, get 4-5 eggs a day so figure someone is not laying or I got a rooster (hope not). No crowing and no spurs so fig. I have all hens. New to this breed but love them so far.

 

[chickenfever]

Just because you are only getting 4-5 eggs a day doesn't mean they are not all laying. They are just not all laying Every Day.

Yeah, some of mine lay on the coop floor too. I'm not sure what to do about it. I put some fake eggs in the nests and that seemed to help a little. Sorry I couldn't help more with that issue

 

[new2chix]

Leave the eggs that are laid in the nest boxes there a day or two. The hens laying on the floor will go in to see what's in there and will get the idea (or use golf balls / plastic easter eggs).

 

[xbassman]

All great ideas. Did put golf balls in the nests and did leave eggs in there for a couple of days. Also tried another trick....put some sort of mint juice (wife had it in her spice rack) on the floor where they always lay and then put some in all the nests. Might have worked but some have not gotten the idea yet. As I chew, I spit where they lay in hopes they won't like the smell....sort of off the wall but am trying almost anything now.

 

[digitS']

Yeah, don't allow them to have nice nests on the floor

. I've even wadded up chicken wire and put it where I didn't want them to build nests.

If you can encourage them to visit the nestbox by placing them in there, that may help. My new nest area (the old one was too close to the roosts) was where the pullets couldn't really see it. And, they had to climb a little ladder to get into it.

I picked each of them up (some quite a few times

) and placed them in the nest. Half figured out where to lay from the get-go. Half laid a few eggs on the floor before they decided that a nest was a much better place for that sort of thing.

Steve
edited to say: welcome to BYC

! I've got Australorps, too. They are some of the very best!