ACoodleDoodleDoo
In the Brooder
- Jan 10, 2021
- 2
- 2
- 11
Backyard chicken first-timer. We got some pullets at the beginning of September and the first started laying on or around January 1st. Our coop and run are based on the photo, the nesting box is the box on the side, but the floor is even with the floor of the coop, the roost runs parallel to the window and on the other side of coop away from the nesting box. The box is 12x12x12 and we're using alpine shavings nesting liners for it, while the coop and run have sand. There were two eggs when we first saw that laying began (for some reason we missed the first lay), but the eggs were both just outside the entrance of the nesting box on the sand inside the coop. Alpine shavings were scattered in the coop (as well as a bowl of oyster shells that were left in the corner of the coop) and in the run, so she must have at least gone into the box because it was never disturbed before and that's the only place there are shavings.
I cleaned up the shavings, but she kept laying on the side of the coop where the box is, but outside the box on the sand/floor of the coop. After a couple of days, my dad built another nesting box inside the coop that used alpine shaving liner, so we had the nesting box and another box across from it, both on the other side of the roost. This time we found that she laid her egg in between the original box and the newly built box, on the sand/floor of the coop. Next, I put a golf ball in the original box to get her to lay there. The following day I found an egg and the golf ball between the two boxes on the sand/floor of the coop. I assumed that someone else must have moved the golf ball not knowing why it was there and after she had laid, so I moved the golf ball and the egg back into the nesting box. The following day, I found two eggs and the golf ball, again, on the side of the coop where the box is, but outside of the box on the sand/floor of the coop. I asked if anybody moved the ball or the egg and nobody did.
Saturday, I did a deep cleaning of the coop, took out the extra nesting box that my dad had made so it was just the original built-in side one, added some alpine shavings to the entrance of the nesting box where most of the eggs had been laid so that there'd be extra cushioning if she laid there again. I placed just the golf ball back into the nesting box. This afternoon (Sunday), I found, once again, an egg and the golf ball on the sand/floor of the coop but not even on the alpine shaving available on the floor of the coop so it was slightly farther away from the box than previously.
The only issue so far with laying on the sand is that there's sand attached to the eggs that needs to be cleaned off. None have broken yet, fingers crossed. But there was one day when she moved the sand enough that the egg was just on the bare wood floor of the coop so who knows if we will continue to be lucky.
Questions:
1) Is it possible and/or normal for a chicken to move eggs to where she wants to lay?
2) Since the eggs have so far been fine, should I be concerned that she's not using the box? Essentially, is it worth trying a different type of bedding for the nesting box?
3) Will this influence the other two chickens who have yet to lay yet?
Additional information: The chickens free range from about 10-4:30 and we live in California.
Appreciate any thoughts/input!
I cleaned up the shavings, but she kept laying on the side of the coop where the box is, but outside the box on the sand/floor of the coop. After a couple of days, my dad built another nesting box inside the coop that used alpine shaving liner, so we had the nesting box and another box across from it, both on the other side of the roost. This time we found that she laid her egg in between the original box and the newly built box, on the sand/floor of the coop. Next, I put a golf ball in the original box to get her to lay there. The following day I found an egg and the golf ball between the two boxes on the sand/floor of the coop. I assumed that someone else must have moved the golf ball not knowing why it was there and after she had laid, so I moved the golf ball and the egg back into the nesting box. The following day, I found two eggs and the golf ball, again, on the side of the coop where the box is, but outside of the box on the sand/floor of the coop. I asked if anybody moved the ball or the egg and nobody did.
Saturday, I did a deep cleaning of the coop, took out the extra nesting box that my dad had made so it was just the original built-in side one, added some alpine shavings to the entrance of the nesting box where most of the eggs had been laid so that there'd be extra cushioning if she laid there again. I placed just the golf ball back into the nesting box. This afternoon (Sunday), I found, once again, an egg and the golf ball on the sand/floor of the coop but not even on the alpine shaving available on the floor of the coop so it was slightly farther away from the box than previously.
The only issue so far with laying on the sand is that there's sand attached to the eggs that needs to be cleaned off. None have broken yet, fingers crossed. But there was one day when she moved the sand enough that the egg was just on the bare wood floor of the coop so who knows if we will continue to be lucky.
Questions:
1) Is it possible and/or normal for a chicken to move eggs to where she wants to lay?
2) Since the eggs have so far been fine, should I be concerned that she's not using the box? Essentially, is it worth trying a different type of bedding for the nesting box?
3) Will this influence the other two chickens who have yet to lay yet?
Additional information: The chickens free range from about 10-4:30 and we live in California.
Appreciate any thoughts/input!
