Eggs sticking to hen's feathers; promoting egg pecking

[Oliveroblong]

My Blue Cochin, Greta, just started laying about three weeks ago, sometimes in the nesting box, but more often in the middle of the coop and the egg is generally broken, from what I thought to be egg pecking, but actually turned out to be from impact

One day, I happened to be in the coop as she finished up and was surprised that after singing her laying song, she jumped from the box and the bloom from the egg was still wet and had made the egg stick to her lower feathers! As soon as she hit the floor from the box, the egg broke, of course! So....either she has more bloom or "lubrication" when she lays, or is too impatient to wait for the egg to dry; Cochins are supposed to be broody! Lol! Either way, about half the time, I find her eggs on the floor of the coop, and the other half of the time, in the nesting box. Has anyone else experienced this?! I have no idea how to keep her still long enough for the egg not to stick to her feathers. She lays everyday, and I would really like to be able to keep the eggs! Not to mention the fact that this morning half of one of her eggs had been eaten by the other hens....not good!! I do not want to deal with egg eaters

Any advice regarding this hot to trot hen?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I had this same problem with a few of my Cochin hens as well. Also thought it was egg eating. Then, one day I was working back at the coop and one of my Cochin hens came out of the nest box. I noticed when she walked by the other birds in her flock, they were all intently staring at her rear end. So, I grabbed her up and found the egg stuck there. It must've been really wet when she laid it because it was so entangled in her feathers I had to cut it out. Regular rump trims on my extra fluffy girls kept the eggs in the nest box where they belonged. I, personally, have never had this happen with any other breed besides my Cochin girls. Oh, and they are broody- and the best mommas! Good luck

 

[Oliveroblong]

Nikki, thank you! That is funny all the other girls were staring at her bottom! I got a giggle out of that. Well, thanks to your advice, Greta will be getting a bum trim this evening! Great idea. Thank you!