Colorado

Pics
Date sort Score sort
urbanfarmer101 said:
I put my vent in on the west side (least amount of gusty winds here). However, I wish I would have put in a smaller vent because every time it rains it comes in.
Click to expand...

Rain? until this week, I didn't know what that stuff was!!!!
lau.gif
 
Pozees said:
Sharon, you are leaving for exactly 3 weeks? Wendell, you are ready to set eggs? hmm ...
Click to expand...
yes........If I can't break her broody mood I'm gonna try to move her to one of the nest boxes on the floor and get some fertilized eggs from my neighbor or someone.

But the problem there is that she will keep laying eggs for awhile, right? Those won't be being collected, will they rot in 3 weeks?
 
Last edited:
Hi all! I haven't been on in awhile, been super busy with the chickens, etc......and have run into a couple of problems with my girls.

I've only been a backyard chicken keeper for 6 months, so I don't know what is usual behavior and what isn't; I'm hoping you wiser more experienced chicken keepers can help.

Problem #1: Patty, my Araucana, has starting laying eggs. It's only been 6 total, over a span of a month, but she's getting the hang of it......the problem is, she is laying them from the roost, which is about 3' off the floor. I caught the one she laid this morning
ep.gif
As you can imagine, I may end up with cracked eggs; so far no, but it's bound to happen if she continues this behavior. Is there anything I can do to discourage her from doing this short of taking the roosts out of the coop? I have 4 nesting type boxes and I think she hates them all.

Problem #2: Laverne, my Blue Andalusian, laid her first egg today; from the roost. I didn't hear any "egg song" to signal her laying it. When I went out later this afternoon, I found remnants of an eggshell, right under where she was roosting. I don't know who ate it, but I figured it cracked when it hit the floor, she went down to take a look at it and ate it herself. Is this just a fluke or is this the start of egg-eating behavior??

HELP!!!
barnie.gif
 
Chook Chick said:
Problem #1: Patty, my Araucana, has starting laying eggs. It's only been 6 total, over a span of a month, but she's getting the hang of it......the problem is, she is laying them from the roost,

HELP!!!
barnie.gif
Click to expand...
OH MY!! Can you post a pic of your nestboxes and where they are in the coop? Or describe them? How big are they, etc. Have your girls ever shown any interest in them by going in and digging around in whatever you have as nesting material, etc. Do you have fake eggs of some type like golf balls or plastic eggs in them?

I'm not much more experienced than you and have never had this problem, so I'm not much help. My first hen plopped her first out outside, but the next day started laying in the boxes and I've never had one misplaced since.

My immediate thoughts are these, knowing nothing about your setup.

1. They don't like your nesting material (I use straw).
2. Placing fake eggs in the nest box might help if you haven't already done so.
3. The boxes might be too small? Too high? In a place that gets too much light (altho that wasn't a problem for me).

Anyway, would help to know more about your coop and setup. Maybe someone else here can speak from experience.
 
gardendufus said:
yes........If I can't break her broody mood I'm gonna try to move her to one of the nest boxes on the floor and get some fertilized eggs from my neighbor or someone.

But the problem there is that she will keep laying eggs for awhile, right? Those won't be being collected, will they rot in 3 weeks?
Click to expand...

They usually stop laying pretty quickly once they go broody. I would be surprised if she laid today, in fact. As far as the eggs rotting, yes they can, but I recently removed an egg from the broody pen that was 6 weeks old, fortunately it had not hatched, they just finally gave up on it and shoved it out into the common area of the pen. If she lays eggs with good shells, I wouldn't be too concerned about that. If you give her eggs, mark them in a way that will be easy to see, and won't fade or rub off, then you or your neighbor will be able to tell which eggs are hers, if she does lay past the day she gets them. To make her stop laying now, give her something to sit on, golf balls or fake eggs. I know you're trying to break her, I'm just suggesting what you can do to make her stop trying to lay a clutch until you get some fertile eggs if you decide to let her sit.
 
gardendufus said:
OH MY!! Can you post a pic of your nestboxes and where they are in the coop? Or describe them? How big are they, etc. Have your girls ever shown any interest in them by going in and digging around in whatever you have as nesting material, etc. Do you have fake eggs of some type like golf balls or plastic eggs in them?

I'm not much more experienced than you and have never had this problem, so I'm not much help. My first hen plopped her first out outside, but the next day started laying in the boxes and I've never had one misplaced since.

My immediate thoughts are these, knowing nothing about your setup.

1. They don't like your nesting material (I use straw).
2. Placing fake eggs in the nest box might help if you haven't already done so.
3. The boxes might be too small? Too high? In a place that gets too much light (altho that wasn't a problem for me).

Anyway, would help to know more about your coop and setup. Maybe someone else here can speak from experience.
Click to expand...

Right on the mark. They don't know what they're supposed to do. Show them where they are supposed to be laying by putting fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting boxes. Some have preferences but honestly once they figure out where to lay, the material and configuration will make less difference. I have shavings and dried grass in most of mine, although the Silkies just have shavings, and they don't lay in a nesting box - they have elected to use the back of their pen, which is behind a roost and two baskets I gave them to try and get them to confine themselves to specific areas. Obviously didn't work. They will sometimes sit in the baskets during the day, with or without chicks, the chicks bounce in and out of them, so they treat them more like couches than nests :) I don't worry because they're safe regardless. 3 foot roosts, though, not safe for the eggs for sure.

A nest box should be 12"-16" deep/wide/high on average, although they will use much smaller and much larger spaces if they take a shine to them. It can be any configuration, really. Chickens will use a variety of things to lay in. I've seen them in plastic kitty litter containers, rubber bowl-type feeders, three sided boxes of the more traditional type, a shelf, and just a spot in the shavings on the floor they hollowed into a nest. My Sussex hens are notorious for that last, I have to look all over the floor of the coop for their eggs.
 

Similar threads

K
Recovering from injury
Replies
1
Views
467
ChickQueen77
ChickQueen77
Grumpy Lady
    • Like
I would like a mixed flock of similar sized brown or colored egg layers
2 3
Replies
20
Views
3K
Grumpy Lady
Grumpy Lady
A
    • Like
HOA Orange County/FL looking for advice
Replies
3
Views
686
DonyaQuick
DonyaQuick

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom