Cracked eggs

[chickentim]

I've been finding a lot of cracked eggs over the last few weeks. Often times it's a small piece missing from the tip of the egg, sometimes long cracks, occasionally a broken egg. I've put out more oyster shells though I never see them going for it, and it doesn't seem like a shell strength issue. My suspicion is that it's just cracking hitting the wooden floor of their nesting boxes. But whenever I put more wood chips in there they immediately kick them all out. Any suggestions to keeping some sort of padding in there? Thanks!

 

[DSJMHenDen]

Do you have enough of a lip on your nest box so that when they kick the shavings around it *mostly stays in the nest box? I had a few issues with this in my smaller coop and I ended up having to put a bigger board up to keep more shavings in the nest box.

With my new coop I built, I actually use the pads (possibly hen gear?) That you see in roll away nest boxes as the base layer. My nest boxes were supposed to be roll away, but that's a whole story... Anyway... roll away nest pad with an additional fibrous nesting pad- material torn off the paper backing so they still have something to arrange. This has worked well for me to avoid cracked eggs. 2 ideas, and I'm not sure if i described either well, so If not I can try to get a picture later!

 

[OLDRanch]

I've been finding a lot of cracked eggs over the last few weeks. Often times it's a small piece missing from the tip of the egg, sometimes long cracks, occasionally a broken egg. I've put out more oyster shells though I never see them going for it, and it doesn't seem like a shell strength issue. My suspicion is that it's just cracking hitting the wooden floor of their nesting boxes. But whenever I put more wood chips in there they immediately kick them all out. Any suggestions to keeping some sort of padding in there? Thanks!

My hens were doing this too; I ended up buying nest pads on amazon, Besly was the brand, and I have not had a cracked egg since (in the sense of there being nothing to break the eggs fall because of no bedding). Three of these washable pads where twenty bucks, I'm pretty sure. Don't mind the broody hen hope this helps.

 

[DSJMHenDen]

My hens were doing this too; I ended up buying nest pads on amazon, Besly was the brand, and I have not had a cracked egg since (in the sense of there being nothing to break the eggs fall because of no bedding). Three of these washable pads where twenty bucks, I'm pretty sure. Don't mind the broody hen hope this helps.

Hey, you saved me having to take a picture haha! This is essentially the same as me, just different pad/ nesting material. Great minds

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Do you have enough of a lip on your nest box so that when they kick the shavings around it *mostly stays in the nest box? I had a few issues with this in my smaller coop and I ended up having to put a bigger board up to keep more shavings in the nest box.

With my new coop I built, I actually use the pads (possibly hen gear?) That you see in roll away nest boxes as the base layer. My nest boxes were supposed to be roll away, but that's a whole story... Anyway... roll away nest pad with an additional fibrous nesting pad- material torn off the paper backing so they still have something to arrange. This has worked well for me to avoid cracked eggs. 2 ideas, and I'm not sure if i described either well, so If not I can try to get a picture later!

I do your first suggestion. There's about a 1 1/2" lip on the edges of the nest boxes. I use hemp for nest box bedding. They arrange it around themselves to feel cozy, I guess. Sometimes a little is kicked out, but not much, and I've never had an egg break.