First Egg Countdown

[LadyCluck77]

The best way I know of is to place fake eggs in the nest box. A golf ball also works, so do craft store wood eggs, or plastic Easter eggs. This also helps them to learn that eggs are not something to eat. They will peck to investigate, and decide they don't like how hard it is.
Congrats on the egg! How old are your girls?

 

[fingbob]

This is Egg #8. It is the First egg from our BO's that are 20 weeks old!

 

[dawnpel]

Got my second egg today. She layed in the nest box for about 1/2 hour. VERY VOCAL....then she got up, went out in the run and dropped the egg!! Well , she almost layed in the nest...LOL

 

[samsr]

Now I'm wondering if others have laid eggs and we just don't know it because they're ranging. Is there a way to encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes?

 

I ganerally keep my girls locked up until the afternoon. This gives them time to lay eggs first thing in the morning. Most of my girls lay in the morning while it is cooler outside. My 5 new hens started laying last week while i was on vacation and they laid in the nesting boxes just like they were supposed to.

 

[Happy Chooks]

We got our first egg this morning!!! I let my girls out of their coop to roam my back yard. I looked in the nest box and could tell someone had been in it but no egg. Each morning when I let them out they follow me on to the back deck so they can get some oatmeal. They just love it!! Well, I gave them their oatmeal, went about my business for a few mins, and when I looked back out the door what do I see on the step???? THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LITTLE EGG !!! I just hope next time they will lay it in the nest box!!!

Now I'm wondering if others have laid eggs and we just don't know it because they're ranging. Is there a way to encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes?

Fake eggs or golf balls will help. Also, when one figures it out and lays in the boxes, most will follow. Every now and then you get a stubborn, sneaky girl though.

This is Egg #8. It is the First egg from our BO's that are 20 weeks old!

Nice basket of eggs!

 

[annie82005]

Does anyone have girls that lay in the evening? I let my hotels out to free range in the evening and worry they won't come back to the coop to lay..... should be any day now.

 

[annie82005]

Girls not hotels! Dumb auto correct!

 

[jllynn601]

Does anyone have girls that lay in the evening? I let my hotels out to free range in the evening and worry they won't come back to the coop to lay..... should be any day now.

My girls free range when I'm home so when one of the girls got ready to lay she broke away from the flock and ran full speed straight back to the coop to lay her egg. Then silly girl ran right bak to the group.

 

[Tiddbit74]

Mine have been laying in the late afternoon, but they don't free range. I want to start letting them out, but was waiting for them to all start laying first.

 

[Too Fast]

Now I'm wondering if others have laid eggs and we just don't know it because they're ranging. Is there a way to encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes?

Use golf balls in the nest boxes, or fake eggs. You for sure want to let them see it, peck at the fake ones, so they don't peck at the real eggs and get a taste for those. Once they taste a real egg and identify it as food, it's almost impossible to break them from eating the eggs.