Egg Laid Next to the Brooder Box

[HenOrRoo1]

I have five hens and now that the youngest girl (our Black Sex Link, Wonder Woman) is laying, I often find her egg next to the brooder box rather than in it. I've also seen our Red Sex Link, Sam, chasing her out of the hen house every time she goes in. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it an extension of pecking order politics?

 

[aart]

Do you mean the 'nest' box rather than the 'brooder' box?
Try putting some fake eggs/golf balls in the nests.

As to why the bullying, hard to say, hormones run high at point of lay...and pecking order can change.

 

[chickens really]

How many nest boxes do you have? I use four nests for 11 hens. Try spreading the nest boxes out if you can?
The mean hen is just being bossy. With chickens it is all about pecking order. My one hen last year never used the nest box till she was older. She liked the one corner of the coop in the deep shavings.
As for fake eggs.....I never use them.

 

[HenOrRoo1]

I suppose I need to be better educated on my terminology. What's the difference between a nest box and a brooder box?

We have 2 boxes for the 5 hens. Sometimes Wonder Woman will lay her egg in the box on the right, which seems to be EVERYONE'S favorite, but usually it's outside of the left box in the shavings. I wonder if it could be Sam (Miss Top of the Pecking Order) chasing her out of the box, but leaving her be if she's not in the box.

 

[aart]

A brooder(box) is usually where young chicks live with artificial heat rather than a broody hen, a nest box is where eggs are laid(hopefully).
Tho I suppose, technically, a nest box could become a brooder box, when a bird goes broody and sits on egg to hatch them.

Try the fake eggs, they work great for many folks to get the bird laying in the nest boxes.....
.....tho there's still frequently a favorite nest that will be squabbled over.

Things can get weird when they start laying, pecking order changes frequently all over the place.
2 nests is fine for 5 hens, moving them apart might help.

 

[HenOrRoo1]

Thanks for the clarification. It's good to know the difference.

Things seem to have settled down a bit since the rooster has been removed. The hens are getting along a bit better.

 

[aart]

Thanks for the clarification. It's good to know the difference.

Things seem to have settled down a bit since the rooster has been removed. The hens are getting along a bit better.

No prob...sometimes it doesn't matter but sometimes it can cause confusion.

Another terminology lesson:
Birds under a year old are generally called pullets and cockerels.....
......over a year old, they are hens and cocks(or cockbirds or roosters if you prefer).

I'm assuming that your birds are just at point of lay, so about 6 months old.......
......cockerels of that age can cause chaos, so getting rid of one will certainly make things more peacful.

Best of cLuck!