Eggs not in nest box

[tweetzone86]

Hello all!

I have 12 RIR and two days ago I got 12 eggs so I now know 100% that all are laying. We gather eggs multiple times a day.

I had one "accident" a while back where we found an egg in the run. Thankfully it was not freezing yet and my (human) girls go into the run all the time so it was definitely new. But since then, no accidents, until...

The 12 egg day we found an egg in the run again. Thankfully still warm (it is freezing now) so must have just been laid. Ok, a hiccup no biggie, right? Except...

Today I found a very dirty egg on the floor of the run near the roost bar. Nice shell, just dirty. And I picked it up and went to turn around and CRUNCH! There was another egg completely buried in the hay bedding that I didn't see and I stepped on it To be fair, it was completely hidden under the straw and I couldn't have seen it. I also wasn't sure if it was from yesterday or today or how long it had been there (changed the bedding a week ago so at least between now and then but still).

I have 3 nest boxes (rubbermaid totes big enough to hold two, or at least I've seen two in one before, with the front cut out, plenty of straw inside, and in a darker corner of the coop). Two of them have ceramic eggs in them, the third doesn't (yet).

Do I need more nest boxes? Or has one of them not figured out where to drop the eggs? Those two eggs were near the roost bars (prob why one was so dirty) so I don't know if they laid while asleep or what...thankfully the others haven't disturbed any eggs, and I got the stepped on one picked up, along with surrounding straw, immediately and tossed it so no one could sample the contents.

But everything I've read states that 3 nest boxes for 12 birds is fine, so why are eggs not showing up where they should be? Light turns on at 2 am and off at 4 pm (to give 14 hours of light- it's fairly dark in the coop without it on darker days which we've had). I can't get up at 2 am and sit in there and monitor who is laying where for hours. All 12 are nearly identical so it's impossible to tell which egg is from who unless you catch them in the act (and even then they're usually sitting on several eggs because they rotate out as soon as one is done the next goes in. At least they keep the eggs warm until we can collect them).

Do I need another nest box? Or put a ceramic egg in the third one? Or is my 12th layer new and not sure what to do yet? I would really like to not step on anymore eggs Or have frozen eggs in the run...

 

[Barry42001]

Might i suggest you leave a egg in one or more of the nesting boxes. That serves as visual que as to where eggs should be. Some hens simply want to secret away their eggs to perhaps get enough eggs to brood. Other hens will lay their eggs with the the original hens eggs. Once a routine is established as to where eggs should go That s pretty much where most hens will lat. You will always get social misfits that lay in other places hence the crunch or pop lol

 

[Barry42001]

More nesting boxes is better than the last so if you have 3 try 5 the hens actually like to be in the boxes for a considerable periods of time this might discourage other hens that might be looking to use the nesting boxes but aren't dominant enough the chase the hen sitting in there out. I've watched two hens sitting in the same nesting box kind of funny kind of crowded two birds of equal dominance

 

[tweetzone86]

I would leave ceramic eggs in the boxes and find a way to block off the areas on the ground where they lay.

They are laying in the coop on the coop floor itself, not the run (save for that one, which was still warm so I bet the chicken got run out of the coop for some reason). I have ceramic eggs in two of the four and plan on getting another set on payday if it keeps up. So far adding the fourth nest box and reducing the amount of bedding in the coop seems to be working.

The run doesn't have anywhere to hide, so I think the run one was a genuine accident.

 

[CannedMonster]

Just as an FYI: my TSC sells milk crates.
Very inexpensive.
I use the milk crates upside down as platforms for feeders/waterers.
We use white Rubbermaid dishwashing tubs for nest boxes.
I fill them with fine mini-flake pine shavings: almost like sawdust.

Also, an adult LF chicken is too big for a cat to hunt.

 

[tweetzone86]

I'd probably just staple them to the rubbermaid totes I have for nest boxes...but since adding a fourth one, I haven't had any eggs in other places, so maybe it helped?

 

[aart]

I'd probably just staple them to the rubbermaid totes I have for nest boxes...but since adding a fourth one, I haven't had any eggs in other places, so maybe it helped?

Sure sounds like it...let it go as is for now and see how thing work out.

If you do decide to try curtains, which I think are totally unnecessary with the already darkened nests you have, do not use staples, too easy for them to come loose and end up inside your chickens.

 

[Chicken.Goddess]

This may cause a hen/pullet to go broody, but if you are worried about the eggs not making it into the nesting boxes, I suggest leaving some (fake) eggs in the nesting boxes. Whenever they realize the eggs are in there, the chickens will normally start laying in there. I wish you the best of luck, and let me know if it worked out for you.

 

[tweetzone86]

This may cause a hen/pullet to go broody, but if you are worried about the eggs not making it into the nesting boxes, I suggest leaving some (fake) eggs in the nesting boxes. Whenever they realize the eggs are in there, the chickens will normally start laying in there. I wish you the best of luck, and let me know if it worked out for you.

I do have ceramic eggs in two of them, but not the third. I will pick up another set this afternoon and put one in the third nest box. Hopefully whoever isn't using the nest boxes will figure it out soon.

Is it also possible that the offender may not be using the nest boxes because some of my chickens like to camp in there for an hour or two after laying?

 

[Barry42001]

I actually use milk crates from the supermarket. I get wire ties to link them together. Each milk crates in individual nest box. Stand on end link 4 together 4 more on top link to bottom crates and together. A 1 x 3 across the bottom of opening of each set of nest boxes serve as a cleat to keep straw and eggs in and a place for chickens to land and get in somewhat gracefully if graceful can ever apply to chickens lol.