Egg laying and nesting box

[Hambone02]

I have twenty birds and I think one has started laying--possibly two. The only problem is it is laying on the roost. I have trays under their roost that catch their poop. Unfortunately, it is now an egg catcher, too. How do I encourage the layer (still don't know which one it is) to use a nesting box?

 

[ChickieKeeta]

Put fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting box. They will see them & get the idea. They like to share the boxes & lay where another hen has laid.

 

[ranchhand]

How high are the nest boxes and the roost? That could make a difference, the roost "should" be higher than the nestbox.

I had a hen doing the aerial laying routine- it turned out she hated the roo and didn't want to be on the ground around him! She is now happily laying in the box in the pen with the bantams. The bantam roo has enough sense to not mess with a standard RIR hen.

 

[Hambone02]

Thanks. I'll try the golf balls.

I only have two temporary nesting boxes (one on top of the other) and they are both lower than the roost. I'm in the proccess of building a 5x nesting box. Someone told me 4 per box was sufficient?

One more thing. How big should their eggs be? These are quite small. Will they get bigger since these are the girls' first eggs? I'd say they're almost half the size of a store bought grade A XL. I have RIRs, BRs, and Blk Ausies.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

How big should their eggs be? These are quite small. Will they get bigger since these are the girls' first eggs?

Yes. When hens start laying they are usually smaller and commonly referred to as 'pullet eggs.' As they get going, the eggs will increase in size to what is normal for that breed within a few months.​

 

[Hambone02]

Awesome. I really appreciate the help.