Chicken laying on floor

[craveman85]

I have 5 hens. An Easter egger that gives me 5 green eggs a week, a penciled Hamburg that gives me 4 or 5 little white eggs a week, a buff Orpington that layed a brown egg the day we moved in and adopted the chickens from the previous owner and hasn't layed in a while and 2 16-17 week old red links. 3 days ago I got a brown egg on my coop floor that my egger broke open and ate. Which she's never done before. Today there was a brown egg in the same spot. I don't think either of my red links have squatted yet. But I think my Orpington is moulting. We got one egg the first day and no Brown eggs until now. She's been losing a few feathers occasionally over the past 6 weeks. She doesn't usually look like she's moulting but I've seen some feathers coming from her. She's also squatting when I walk up to her and she didn't before. Am I probably right that it's her? How do I get her to lay in the nesting boxes again? I have 8 of them. The first Brown one we got was in the box. She's been laying in them for years until now. Well if it's her anyway. She sleeps on the floor every night but she always has from what the former owner told me.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Why does she sleep on the floor? She could have an injury which prevents her from getting up and roosting. If it is her egg than perhaps she can't get up to the boxes anymore and you might have to make a floor nestbox for her. If she's actually molting than she probably isn't laying. Almost every time an egg is laid on the floor they will get eaten so that's normal. Your sex links could have started and sometimes they drop eggs on the floor. Only you can tell if it's a new looking egg or one from your older hens.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Why does she sleep on the floor? She could have an injury which prevents her from getting up and roosting. If it is her egg than perhaps she can't get up to the boxes anymore and you might have to make a floor nestbox for her. If she's actually molting than she probably isn't laying. Almost every time an egg is laid on the floor they will get eaten so that's normal. Your sex links could have started and sometimes they drop eggs on the floor. Only you can tell if it's a new looking egg or one from your older hens.

I agree.

 

[craveman85]

The roosts they had in the coop were pretty small diameter and she's a big bird so I thought that may be the issue. I took a 3" pine branch and made a new roost. It's 5' long and the other 1.25" branch is 8' long. She appears healthy just sleeps in the straw. I haven't checked the little ones vents yet but I still have a feeling it's her.

 

[craveman85]

It's been so long since that other brown egg that I can't really compare it to anything

 

[craveman85]

I made a ramp up to the nesting boxes by running a 2x8 across my dado blade for traction ridges. I also made one for the larger roost branch. Sometimes my little girls will chill in the nesting boxes during the day making me think it's not them because they know where they are and can get to it.

 

[chickens really]

Orpingtons are big birds....Not all like high roosts or nest boxes.....Mine sleep on the lower roosts and my Nest boxes are set at about a foot and a half off the floor.....I was taught this by a lady who raises only Orpington......

Hope that helped?

 

[craveman85]

My boxes range from 1-2' off the floor. I've got roosts at 2.5, 3, 4, and an open window at 5.5' my little ones sit on. Just went and checked her. She's lying on the straw in the corner like usual. I picked her up and put her on her new roost and she looked at me like "***?" Then hopped down and went to her corner. Occasionally my ee and my Hamburg will sit on the window as well. I don't really have an open window it's a fenced over window that opens inward like a horizontal door. I have the door hanging level right now and they like to sit in it.

 

[craveman85]

She's old too somewhere between 5 and 8

 

[chickens really]

My boxes range from 1-2' off the floor. I've got roosts at 2.5, 3, 4, and an open window at 5.5' my little ones sit on. Just went and checked her. She's lying on the straw in the corner like usual. I picked her up and put her on her new roost and she looked at me like "***?" Then hopped down and went to her corner. Occasionally my ee and my Hamburg will sit on the window as well. I don't really have an open window it's a fenced over window that opens inward like a horizontal door. I have the door hanging level right now and they like to sit in it.

Really, If she is happy doing her own thing? I would let her...I never interfere if mine want to sleep on the floor, nest box, or on a roost...I had an Ameruacana who laid her eggs behind the door on the floor...I never worried about it...They are all doing what feels natural to them...Chickens are just that.....CHICKENS....