First egg(s)!!!

[Spike_2112]

We got our first egg today from one of our 4 month old girls. Very excited, however we found it outside the coop, under the nestbox on a pile of pinestraw. After we took it out to take pictures and admire the medium sized egg for way too long, we noticed the 2nd egg, also under the nestbox. It appears one of them had been in the nestboxes and dig around some (the golf balls were buried and pine shavings were disturbed. What should we do to get them to use the nestboxes? Lock them in the coop, or will they just start using them on their own? Thanks for any advice!

Spike

 

[Perris]

congrats on your first eggs - they're lovely!
you have the golfballs, that's good, so perhaps reduce the depth of nesting material so they can't be buried again where they are supposed to lay, and meanwhile reduce the attractiveness of the alternative site, e.g. get rid of the pinestraw. If they are free-ranging, perhaps rig up a temporary pen so that they really have no alternative laying place than the nesting boxes. You want this habit broken quick or you'll be spending a lot of time egg hunting!

 

[Spike_2112]

congrats on your first eggs - they're lovely!
you have the golfballs, that's good, so perhaps reduce the depth of nesting material so they can't be buried again where they are supposed to lay, and meanwhile reduce the attractiveness of the alternative site, e.g. get rid of the pinestraw. If they are free-ranging, perhaps rig up a temporary pen so that they really have no alternative laying place than the nesting boxes. You want this habit broken quick or you'll be spending a lot of time egg hunting!

Thanks for the tips! We’ll get rid of the rest of the pinestraw and try lessening the amount of shavings in theirs nestboxes and see if they take to them. We’re just excited they are starting to lay! Seems like a long time ago when they arrived as days old chicks

 

[aart]

It can take time, up to a month or so before things smooth out, they do like to tear up the nests at first.

Oh, and.....CONGRATS!!
Nothing like that very first egg after months of waiting.

 

[Folly's place]

You might need to keep them in until later in the afternoon too, so fewer eggs land in unexpected outdoor locations.
First eggs are great!
Mary