Ya know the annoying thing is that I REALLY want a broody hen. It's just that this is the wrong time and the wrong year since I already raised this years chicks, and I was leaving home for 3 weeks and didn't want my inexperienced neighbor who is helping out with my eggs to have to deal with a broody.
I have had one for over a year and I love it. Best investment I made in my coop. While mine is somewhat shielded from the wind, I have never seen a wind that affected it at all. Easy installation, no need to monitor it at all. EXCEPT: If you are using lighting either inside the coop, or outside yard lighting, be sure the coop door is closing at night and is not affected (I never can remember if its 'affect' or 'effect') by the supplemental lights. I had some problem this spring when I was running a red heat lamp inside the coop only to discover that the amount of radiant light (while not shining directly on the sensor) was enough to keep my door open all night. Was even enough to open it after I had manually closed it.
Couple things: First, egg eating, if they are actually breaking eggs to eat them and not just cleaning up an egg that is already broken, is almost always due to a need for more protein. You can give them cooked egg, meal worms, meat, chicken, fish, whatever you have around that will give them a protein boost. Some people feed cat food, tuna, as I said it is just whatever you have handy or can get easily and inexpensively. Second, offering oyster shell won't hurt your younger girls, as they may sample it but won't really eat enough to cause harm (I never say never, there is always the oddball here and there, but it is very unlikely). I've seen my cockerels eating oyster shell from time to time, mainly just to see what it is.
I know it's frustrating, right when they are getting under way, but they should get themselves straightened out in time. In the meantime, as far as your roosts go, Bob built some nifty little portable roosts out of 2x6 scraps and 2x2s. They have a piece of 2x6 on each ends and 2 2x2s across the top, so they're only 8" off the floor - safe and easy to move. The ones he built are just shy of 4' long, to fit into my pens in the new coop. Even little Silkie chicks can get up on them, and they look just blinking adorable sitting on them
I have always had community nest boxes. First I had 2 - 2 seaters, really just plastic storage bins. All 6 of my chickens would wait around for the same special spot they all seemed to favor.
Glad you made it there OK.
