FIRST EGG!! little concerned

[opi8]

Hi All,

One of my chickens laid her first egg!! As excited as I am, I am a bit concerned. The egg was laid in the pen (run) and NOT the nest box. I have noticed for the past couple of days the chickens have been digging out the bedding (pine shavings) in the nest boxes, so they have been exploring it. I also had to lower the nest boxes due to them consistently sleeping in it at night.
Should I be alarmed? is there anything I can do? Are my nest boxes "not good enough"??

Any help would be appreaciated!!

Opi

 

[KellyHM]

Congrats on your first egg!! Don't worry...they'll figure out the nest boxes in time.

 

[cherrycitychicks]

Congratulations on the first egg. I am sure your hens will figure out the nesting box but you may try adding a fake egg (golf ball, old white door knob, glass egg) to the nest box. This will help show the ladies where you want the eggs.

 

[opi8]

I just put a couple golf balls in each box (literally 5 minutes ago)...I read somewhere that the golf balls may "help" them realize where to lay. Is this true? Should I take the Golf Balls out?

Thanks for the congrats BTW...It is rather exciting!!

Opi

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

My chickens will lay their eggs in the nest with the most golf balls in it...consistently.

 

[opi8]

Thanks for your replies...I was so excited I went into a bit of a panic mode when I saw they didnt lay in the nest box.

I'll just relax...keep the golf balls in the nest box and let em figure it out.

Thanks again for the QUICK help!!

Cheers!!

Opi

 

[foweler]

Just make sure the nest box has a dark and private feel to it. I had to add some plastic over my because they were a little too open. It did the trick.

On another note, I just took the golf balls out. I'm trying to stop my Light Brahma from being broody. Now she sits in the nest all day trying to hatch nothing

 

[TXmom]

Mine laid their first 2 eggs on the floor of the coop, then figured out that the nestboxes is where they belong. I do have 2 golf balls in each nestbox.

Now all of my girls lay in the nestboxes except my little Silkie pullet...I just don't know if she'll ever figure it out. Once, my Buff Orp saw the Silkie egg on the floor, so she sat on it and laid her egg there too...oh GREAT...I hope the Silkie doesn't UNTRAIN the other girls!!!

 

[lisahaschickens]

my chickens explored the nest boxes for a couple of weeks when they were gearing up to lay their first eggs. I never put any golf balls or anything else in there and 10 out of 11 so far have just decided to use the nesting boxes. On the other hand, I have one pullet who lays on the floor of the coop. I can't change her mind... seeing the other girls lay in the nests and seeing their eggs in there (even better than fake ones or golf balls, you'd think) won't change her mind.

My guess is that most of your chickens will figure it out on their first or second tries. Golf balls can't hurt! But, you could end up like me with one or two that just don't want to use the nests... who knows why!

Congrats on your first egg! Isn't it exciting! You'll have many more to come!

oh yeah... and just a little more information from my own experience (I'm a first-timer too)... I have 12 nest boxes and I used to have pine shavings in all of them... but right before they started to lay, I switched half to straw and left the other half shavings. So far I have gotten 83 eggs total (I've been keeping count) and minus the 10 or so from my girl who lays on the floor.. that's 73. 71 of 73 eggs have been laid in the nests with straw. They seem to really prefer the straw, I think, though I don't know why. Just my observation.

 

[cmom]

My birds were sleeping in the nest boxes. I would put milk crates in the nest boxes in the evenings and take them out in the mornings for a week. It seems to have worked. I did it with my hens and with my pullets. Also I put a golf ball in each nest box. I also made sure the roosts are higher than the nest boxes. The birds tend to go to the highest spot to roost. My original roosts were at the same height as the nest boxes. I have raised it to just above the boxes. It's no fun when they get used to sleeping in the nest boxes and then you reach in and get poopy eggs. This happened to me in the beginning. I thought it was cute. I finally got tired of cleaning the poopy eggs and the poop out of the nest boxes..