First egg......or so I thought.

[pnwchicklvr]

I opened up the nesting boxes and there it was...my first egg. After taking pictures and being so excited, I went in the run to visit the girls. When I knelt down to “talk” to them, imagine my surprise when there were 5 eggs sitting in their dust bath. Ugh! Since the dust bath was under to coop, I hadn’t looked there since I cleaned the run on Saturday. Won’t be eating those, but soon enough I will have plenty of eggs. I am enjoying these chickens even more than I thought I would!

 

[Peace Love Hens]

How funny! What bedding or material are you using in your nest boxes? I find that mine enjoy wood shavings with many different scrap pieces of juniper or twigs in their nest boxes, woven together to create a little circle around the shavings.

 

[pnwchicklvr]

How funny! What bedding or material are you using in your nest boxes? I find that mine enjoy wood shavings with many different scrap pieces of juniper or twigs in their nest boxes, woven together to create a little circle around the shavings.

I am using the same pine bedding as I use in the coop itself. I’m thinking I should change it to something different.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I noticed mine didn’t really use the nesting boxes at first and then they figured it out.

 

[pnwchicklvr]

I noticed mine didn’t really use the nesting boxes at first and then they figured it out.

At least I know to look beyond the nesting box. Lol!

 

[Birdsong 82]

Definitely. I couldn’t figure out why I was finding so few eggs for a long time and then something caught my eye one day underneath a tarp near the shed when I lifted it up there was a perfectly stacked pile of eggs. My daughter counted exactly 30. I don’t know if something was taking and stashing them or if they decided they really like that spot.I don’t know that it’s necessarily the bedding material you used in the nest boxes or anything. Sometimes it just takes them a minute to figure out where To lay that egg. Plus chickens are just crazy

 

[pnwchicklvr]

Definitely. I couldn’t figure out why I was finding so few eggs for a long time and then something caught my eye one day underneath a tarp near the shed when I lifted it up there was a perfectly stacked pile of eggs. My daughter counted exactly 30. I don’t know if something was taking and stashing them or if they decided they really like that spot.I don’t know that it’s necessarily the bedding material you used in the nest boxes or anything. Sometimes it just takes them a minute to figure out where To lay that egg. Plus chickens are just crazy

I can’t free range since we have hawks that nest on our property. So I won’t have to look too far to find their hiding places.

 

[Birdsong 82]

If it becomes a problem of them laying in their dust bath you could maybe keep the dust bath covered till they’re done laying for the day

 

[Birdsong 82]

I hate Hawks. I think the only reason I can get away with free ranging is the chickens know there’s hawks there but I think that’s why they are always beside the goats. Not too many things are going to mess with 4 140 pound goats
But at least your Easter egg hunt won’t extend too far

 

[Peace Love Hens]

I am using the same pine bedding as I use in the coop itself. I’m thinking I should change it to something different.

Yeah, that is an interesting statement. I have heard mixed comments on pine shavings, wood shavings etc. I use wood shavings because they work, but when I run out I'll probably switch because I've heard that the fine particles can irritate their eyes/nose/throat.