Egg laying in bottom of coup instead of nest box! New behavior‍♀️

[Dianes Divas]

My Americana who faithfully lays an egg a day in nesting box has for last two days layed downstairs in coup and the other hens are eating it! What is this about? My hens are quite predictable but this is new habit! I have 7 hens...my youngest silkies just started laying...the easter egger lays, the domingue lays, the buff orp must be laying but can't determine which egg is hers...the rhode island red stopped laying last june and she was just year old but she sits upstairs in box and pretends...but back to issue of why the egg being laid downstairs by my Ameraucana..what is going on? Help..afraid they will all start eating the eggs up in boxes and I get them out asap

 

[aart]

New layers often lay thin or soft shelled eggs...
...easily broken and fair game for eating IMO,
and does not necessary create a real 'egg eating' issue.
But it is good to gather often to reduce the chance even further.

They often don't get to the nest in time either, especially when a soft shell egg is involved.

Knowing more about your flock(numbers, ages, genders),
coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
and what and how exactly you are feeding,
might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem.

 

[azygous]

Do you have time to hang around and observe what goes on in the morning during nesting and egg laying?

Sometimes new layers are bullied out of the nests when they go in to lay their egg. They can get tired of this treatment, and instead, just lay wherever seems safe at the moment.

When I discover a new layer depositing her egg outside of a nest, I pick her up and place her in a nest box away from the "cool girls'" nest, the one that is always in demand. She quickly sees the alternative and the problem is resolved.

But sometimes an egg just comes unexpectedly and a new layer just lets it slip our wherever she happens to be. If it breaks, it gets eaten immediately. If it's intact, I've never had it get eaten even if it's sitting right in the main traffic area.

 

[Dianes Divas]

Do you have time to hang around and observe what goes on in the morning during nesting and egg laying?

Sometimes new layers are bullied out of the nests when they go in to lay their egg. They can get tired of this treatment, and instead, just lay wherever seems safe at the moment.

When I discover a new layer depositing her egg outside of a nest, I pick her up and place her in a nest box away from the "cool girls'" nest, the one that is always in demand. She quickly sees the alternative and the problem is resolved.

But sometimes an egg just comes unexpectedly and a new layer just lets it slip our wherever she happens to be. If it breaks, it gets eaten immediately. If it's intact, I've never had it get eaten even if it's sitting right in the main traffic area.

Thankyou for replying but this hen is a pro...been laying since we got her last may...the new layers are the silkies who lay every day in the box...very strange why she did this‍

 

[azygous]

A hen that is having issues along her oviduct may feel the urge to shed her egg in inappropriate places. I would keep a close eye on her.

 

[aart]

Thankyou for replying but this hen is a pro...been laying since we got her last may...the new layers are the silkies who lay every day in the box...very strange why she did this‍

Might be getting ready to molt......or feel crowded/annoyed with the new layers??