I have a flock of 10 pullets that are just starting to lay. Right now I get 3 eggs from the newbies. The problem is I went to get the eggs yesterday and one of the eggs was crushed not eaten but completely flattened. There was one from our EE who started laying last week and one from one of my adult cochins. The crushed egg I believe was from one of my wyandottes that started to lay the other day-it was in the same nest box as the EE's egg. Today I went out there and the EE's egg was crushed, there was no other egg in the nest box. The two wyandottes that are starting to lay are both nervous, I had to put curtains on one nest and then I still had to stand there so she wouldn't keep trying to jump out and go lay it on my back porch plus she kicked every piece of shavings out of the box. The other one keeps jumping in and out of each nest box. Also since the EE started laying almost all her eggs have been in the nest boxes, but one day I saw her in there so I left her alone. I went out an hour later and the egg was on the floor with a small dent in it. Do you think they could just be so nervous they don't notice the other egg or do I have a problem?
For 15 hens/pullets I have 4 nest boxes. I originally had just 11 hens/pullets with the intention of getting rid of 4 pullets so I realize I will have to make more nest boxes since my new additions and the decision to keep the others, but even then they don't use all 4 nest boxes. They only were using two but since I put the curtain up they now use the top one too. The bottom one is never used. My nest boxes are upright instead of horizontal do you think that poses a problem?
For 15 hens/pullets I have 4 nest boxes. I originally had just 11 hens/pullets with the intention of getting rid of 4 pullets so I realize I will have to make more nest boxes since my new additions and the decision to keep the others, but even then they don't use all 4 nest boxes. They only were using two but since I put the curtain up they now use the top one too. The bottom one is never used. My nest boxes are upright instead of horizontal do you think that poses a problem?
