Egg Theatrics - how to ID the perpetrators

[GreenHaven]

I have a small flock of 7 hens. I have a community nest for them, which has 2 nests in a small house built just for egg laying. They were using it last year, but this year I am finding eggs on the ground under the roosts (YUCK). I set up a camera in the community nest - to see if bullying is occurring and record who is laying but I cannot make out their leg bands on the recordings so I can't tell who is who. I looked into wing bands and those would nest under the feathers. So I need a way to identify from the top where the camera is. In frustration, I purchased a small dog house and put another nest in there to see if perhaps that might helo. It didn't although some hens do use this nest. This morning after finding another egg on the ground, I put the dog house right in front of the coop and put the egg from the ground into the nest to demonstrate where it belongs. (Don't laugh - I'm desperate.)

When I came back out it had been kicked out of the nest and the dog house (two 4" high barriers to get it out - so this was a real project!).

SO: 2 questions really:

1) Does anyone have any ideas on why this behavior might be occuring and what I can do about it?

2) Does anyone have any ideas on ways to make hen ID simpler for the camera? Maybe ribbons of different colors? (But how to attach safely so they don't get injured in some obscure fashion I'm not thinking about?)

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, sorry you are having problems. Cannot answer all your questions but can assure you that putting fake eggs or golf balls in the nests where you want your hens to lay is very common practice and it really does help. When hens see an egg in a nest it tells them, this is a safe place to lay my egg.

Good luck finding answers to your other issues!

 

[GreenHaven]

Thank you. I do have them in the nests. They do usually work. This flock is 2 so it’s a newer phenomenon that occurred after their molt.

 

[rosemarythyme]

That's tough - is there any way to move the camera so you can better see which bird it is, or do they all look identical (like, same breed)? Are you or anyone else at home who can run out and physically verify which bird is where when you spot someone in the wrong place on camera?

(And while this is not helpful with the current birds you have here's something to consider for the future - I have a mixed flock where every bird looks different and lays different colored/sized eggs. Makes IDing a non issue.)

 

[Tired old Rooster]

If it is just one hen toss bombing them off the roost, you may have an oddball like my Goofy who sometimes decides to lay at two hours to sunrise. Not been able to figure her out yet. Could be, she can't hold it in until she gets to day time and can use a nest, could be she just likes to mess with me.

If more than one are doing it, then it could be a bully issue and all I can recommend is more nests, spread around.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How desperate to identify them are you? You can try food dye. It will not hurt them but you may be able to see it until the next molt. I'm not sure how long it may take for it to fade away. I've used it on baby chicks but they molt pretty quickly.

Different colors in the same area can be an identifier, or coloring different body parts. With only 7 to identify it should not be hard to come up with a code. Look at your video and see which body parts you might want to color.

 

[GreenHaven]

That's tough - is there any way to move the camera so you can better see which bird it is, or do they all look identical (like, same breed)? Are you or anyone else at home who can run out and physically verify which bird is where when you spot someone in the wrong place on camera?

(And while this is not helpful with the current birds you have here's something to consider for the future - I have a mixed flock where every bird looks different and lays different colored/sized eggs. Makes IDing a non issue.)

They are all the same breed and look almost identical. They dont mix with other breeds well - and I am very happy with the breed overall. This is an odd behavior for them. They are banded - but it so hard to use this with the camera. I am at home - retired - but they go into the house about 50 times and seldom are they actually laying. Im thinking something is wrong and they are waiting for the big dummy to fix it.

Im going to clean it out thoroughly and replace all bedding and spray it just in case but my hens are clean - no mites i can find on them (checked at night). Spring cleaning - ive been waiting for a warmer day.

 

[GreenHaven]

How desperate to identify them are you? You can try food dye. It will not hurt them but you may be able to see it until the next molt. I'm not sure how long it may take for it to fade away. I've used it on baby chicks but they molt pretty quickly.

Different colors in the same area can be an identifier, or coloring different body parts. With only 7 to identify it should not be hard to come up with a code. Look at your video and see which body parts you might want to color.

 

[GreenHaven]

Thank you!!! I AM that desperate. What a great idea. I am definitely going to try this. Im the only one who will really see this. And i am pretty sure that red and orange are out. Ill give this a try.

 

[GreenHaven]

If it is just one hen toss bombing them off the roost, you may have an oddball like my Goofy who sometimes decides to lay at two hours to sunrise. Not been able to figure her out yet. Could be, she can't hold it in until she gets to day time and can use a nest, could be she just likes to mess with me.

If more than one are doing it, then it could be a bully issue and all I can recommend is more nests, spread around.

It used to be just one - pretty sure i know which one. Shes been a little batty since we had a hawk attack last year - she survived it but was badly injure and her neck is very crooked. But i got two eggs in there the other day so another hen is taking up the practice, and i dont want it to spread. From the camera, i dont see any bullying, which was what i thought was happening.
But i will be doing a thorough clean out and spray and fake eggs and labeled (dyed feather) hens and i can focus a camera into the coop area. Should yield some new information anyway.