Ground Egg Layer

[ardagh23]

I have a hen that will not use the nesting box. The rest of flock consistently uses the nesting boxes. Any suggestions as to how I can get this girl to lay in the right place?

 

[ardagh23]

Also I noticed that she buried it beneath a pile of hay.

 

[ardagh23]

Here is my setup. I have 5 Chickens under the grapevine and 2 that live separated right behind the grapevine. The 4 hens in the first setup are laying and 3 of them use the nesting boxes lifted up off the ground. The barnevelder is silly and won't use the nesting boxes. She keeps laying on the ground and then covers her eggs with hay.

 

[ardagh23]

Anyone have ANY ideas?

 

[KristinLLB]

Can you restrict her until she lays in the right place?

 

[ardagh23]

I got lucky and she started laying in the nesting box the day after I left everyone's eggs in the nesting boxes overnight. It would be great if she keeps it up. So far none of her eggs are on the ground.

 

[GuppyTJ]

That makes sense, given that she saw the eggs there and thought "well, this must be a safe place to lay eggs." Do you leave fake eggs or golf balls in the nests all the time? This might work for her, I know it works for others. It's what I do too. I have 3 of those plastic fake Easter eggs filled with sand in mine. I don't think they're going to last long so I'm asking for ceramic or wooden ones as a Christmas gift.

Guppy

 

[howlingrose46]

My silkie girls started laying a few weeks ago. Not sure who is laying what but I have at least one egg a day sometimes two. They have been good about laying in the nesting box. Missed a couple times but was close could tell she tried. They are still really young. But this evening all three silkie hens and the silkie too were up by the patio with us when all if the sudden she laid an egg the other hen pecked it and they were all trying to eat it. A few minutes later she piped out another one and she turned around and pecked it. We shooed them away and got them up but they were soft rubbery eggs. First time I had seen that. I know one of them has been laying double yolks very time. What was this all about if was crazy?

 

[GuppyTJ]

I'm new to chickens with just one of my 7 pullets laying. They are all about 21 weeks old now so just getting started myself.

I do know that often, when they first start to lay, the eggs are not fully formed and/or you get strange things like double yolks. The reason is the laying mechanism inside the pullet is just getting working and all the parts are not yet fully functioning. So, as I understand it, the strange eggs you're seeing are fairly common. They should work out the kinks in their egg producing soon. I don't know how long it takes to work it out so I can't give you a time frame on this.

In terms of laying on the patio, this is common too. Pullets just getting started are not fully in tune with their laying cycle. Some will drop eggs while roosting, for example. So, maybe this is what is happening with your young hens (called pullets). It's good that you picked them right up to avoid the pullets pecking at them and getting the idea that they can be eaten. Just a good idea to not allow them to learn that there is food inside the egg shells.

To encourage your pullets to lay in the nest box, as I mentioned above, leave some fake eggs in the nest box all the time. See my post above for more info on this.

Hope this helps,
Guppy

 

[howlingrose46]

Yes it does help it was just the craziest thing. I put a golf ball in one box for now and did not let them free range today. Will probably not let them back out til the weekend. Hoping staying closer to the nesting box will help. I am pretty sure she had been using the box til this happened. Thought maybe she was just to busy to be bothered. Kinda like a kid lol. Thanks for the feed back. I have learned so much from this sight. Love it