Egg Soccer???

[RedDrgn]

Our flock of 5 is 23.5 weeks old now. No eggs yet, but they are definitely checking out the nest boxes...

Put some wooden eggs in a few of the boxes about 5 weeks ago. 3 weeks ago, we started noticing that they kept emptying one of the boxes of all bedding/nesting material (a mix of straw and pine shavings), leaving the wooden egg on the floor of the box. 2 weeks ago, they started doing this to every box, but only about once a week and all of the eggs always remained in the boxes. This week we have found the boxes devoid of all material AND eggs twice. The one egg was in the middle of the coop. The other egg was outside of the coop, on the ground, and six feet from the only door they could have gotten it out of (pop hole)!

The other time the eggs were all in in the coop and out of the boxes. Additionally, they have to get the eggs over an approximate 3-inch lip of wood to even get them out of the nest boxes.

We don't immediately replace the nest material, either. If they want it out, it's alright with us. We only add more when we clean out the old material or when we redistribute whats in there once they form bare spots on the floor (so approximately every 4-6 days).

So what in the heck are these birds doing and why are they rolling the eggs around? I'm not sure a real egg would take kindly to these antics.

 

[digitS']

My guess is that you should be getting some eggs very soon. Either that or they are just treating the nests like any other piece of ground and scratching, looking for food.

When hens go into the nest box, they often do a bit of scratching - kind of digging themselves in. It doesn't amount to much unless they are having some trouble with depositing the egg.

New layers have no rational basis for much of what they do. Yes, they may shoot that egg right out of the box and across the floor! Don't think that they "want" or "don't want" something around. They may be partly driven by instinct and maybe even discomfort because of the egg developing inside of them but it will take several months of laying before it becomes natural behavior for them. Until then, expect the unexpected.

Steve

 

[suzeqf]

I had a polish hen do this with real egss she would scratch all the hay and straw out and look out if some one was broody she would push them out and trash their nest. I never could break her from it even after she started laying. She's got a new home now and so far is behaving herself.

 

[RedDrgn]

Well today they emptied two of the nest boxes, and were caught sitting in the third one. No egg, but I think digitS' is right that we may get something soon. Had two of the girls do rather overly-dramatic squats for me, too....apparently they don't mind requesting service from another woman.

I sure hope the egg soccer isn't s habit they continue with real eggs unless they plan to lay ironclads!