Egg freefall

[PeaFan]

How do you get the peahen to lay in a nest box or at least on the ground? My hen laid her first egg today from up on the roost, it did not survive. Is she going to keep doing this or will she figure out that she should be on the ground when she lays? Thanks

 

[Midnightman14]

hard to say. Some stop doing it and some don't.

 

[PeaFan]

hard to say. Some stop doing it and some don't.

Thanks- I will have to follow her with a catchers mitt next time.

 

[red horse ranch]

A lot of young birds will lay their 1st egg wherever they happen to be. I think some of them don't even know what's happening. But your hen should learn pretty quick. I often find busted chicken eggs under roosts maybe because the hens just don't feel like getting down in the middle of the night.

 

[KsKingBee]

Some farms take the roosts down for the breeding season. Many of mine are adjustable from six-foot down to four-foot for the season. On the ones I can not lower I will place hay or grass clippings under the roost to break the fall. In some of my pens, the grass is enough to break the fall most of the time. Inside my coops, the roosts are only three feet high over loose sand.

 

[PeaFan]

Thanks everybody. I tried putting “fake” eggs in the nest box to see is she gets the hint. We’ll see how the next one goes.....

 

[PeaFan]

Just FYI - I think we came to an understanding, the second egg she laid on the floor of their house.

 

[DukesDucks]

My peacocks have never used the nesting boxes I provided. They just seem to lay wherever they want. Thankfully have never had them lay from a height though.