First time with laying hens

[Mhg1523]

Good day BYCers.

I have a few questions about my laying hens. This is my first time with chickens and now that they are of laying age I have some hopefully simple questions.

1. The eggs are small. Is this something that is normal until the chicken works the whole process out?

2. The eggs are sometimes cracked, it seems that the chicken pushes most of the straw out of the nesting box. Is there something I can put on the bottom of the box to keep this from happening.

3. My chickens seem to only lay mid morning to early afternoon. Is this normal? I always thought they lay first thing in the morning.


Thanks,

Matt

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The eggs will slowly get bigger. The eggs are cracked because a hen stands up to push the egg out, try some shaving in the nest boxes. Chickens lay all different times, some will lay daily, some only once or twice a week, so there's no specific egg laying time, just like roosters crow all day long.

 

[aart]

Good day BYCers.

I have a few questions about my laying hens. This is my first time with chickens and now that they are of laying age I have some hopefully simple questions.

1. The eggs are small. Is this something that is normal until the chicken works the whole process out?

2. The eggs are sometimes cracked, it seems that the chicken pushes most of the straw out of the nesting box. Is there something I can put on the bottom of the box to keep this from happening.

3. My chickens seem to only lay mid morning to early afternoon. Is this normal? I always thought they lay first thing in the morning.


Thanks,

Matt

1. Yep, it can take a few weeks to a few months for egg to get up to a 'large' size.

2. Are the shells good and hard?
Are you providing a calcium source?
Putting a good solid 'flake' of straw might help, harder for them to scratch it apart, but they will not scratch as much after they've been laying awhile.
Are the front of your nests a good 3-4" inches high to help keep bedding in nest?
You can get nest pads online or door mats that are similar at most big box stores.

3. Mine lay at that time also, but the time can vary widely and change day to day. I takes about 25 hours for an egg to be formed and laid, then shortly after the egg is laid another one starts the journey...so a little later each day until it's too late in the day for a new one to start and they take a day off and egg formation starts the next morning.
here's a very cool video about how an egg is formed. Egg Formation Video.

 

[Mhg1523]

They have access to oyster shell in the run. The lip at the end of the nesting box is 3 in high.

Thank you for the info. It cleared up a lot of stuff for me.

 

[shelby h]

I read on one of these threads that one person put old towels at the bottom of their nest boxes.
I had this same problem, until all my girls decided that the old chiminea in the yard was the perfect place to lay! Scooped out the miracle gro and put in sand. They don't go near the old nest box now, lol