Chickens laying eggs while on roost.

[Maxpax]

We are in our third year of 5 backyard chickens. For the last several months, we are finding 1 or 2 broken eggs, in the straw under the roosting bar. Are they falling out during the night, or being deliberately laid?


Now a leghorn named Angel has started leaving feathers everywhere, and is in a really bad mood. My daughter picked her up, petted & removed loose feathers, when she put her down, Angel chased & tries to peck her until she ran in the house. Is Angel molting in June?

 

[Y N dottes]

how old are your hens. sometimes when laying hens get older they start to have a harder time with laying and they can start laying on their roost on accident. I have had younger layers lay when on the roost, but very infrequently. since it sounds like it is happening quite often it seems like it isn't just a fluke.

also, welcome to BYC

 

[Michael Apple]

We are in our third year of 5 backyard chickens. For the last several months, we are finding 1 or 2 broken eggs, in the straw under the roosting bar. Are they falling out during the night, or being deliberately laid?

Calcium absorption isn't just for egg quality, it is important for muscle and nerve function. That may be why she is dropping eggs at night on the roost. If adequate amounts of D3, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, etc. are in feed or supplemented with vitamins in water, you might try adding a tablespoon per gallon of liquid calcium gluconate. You can find it in the cattle section at feed stores. You'll need a needle and syringe to draw it out of the bottle so you can add it to the water. There are also direct fed supplements you can use too. Calcibird & Calciboost are a few brands.

 

[Maxpax]

That sounds like a good thing to try. We are feeding our chickens food recommended by the feed store, yogurt every other day, fresh fruit & veggies, and shelled sunflower seeds as a treat when they free range. I thought they were getting the perfect diet, but a lot of those foods do not contain calcium. Thanks

 

[Maxpax]

We are just starting our third year, so they are just 3 years old.