Help new to chickens!

[crazychick5]

Hi everyone I'm not even sure I'm posting this in the right place I've just joined and I'm new to chickens. I had a few questions about my chickens. Nearly 3 weeks ago now I got 8 chickens - 2 bluebells, 2 light Sussex, 2 hybrids and 2 silkies. They are point of lay and some of them have just started laying but I'm not sure which ones. They're not laying there eggs in the nest boxes and I put fake eggs in each one to encourage them but they still haven't layed in there. Also 3 of the 5 eggs that have been layed have been cracked how can I stop this? Sorry it's such a long post!

 

[beezer1999]

Hi everyone I'm not even sure I'm posting this in the right place I've just joined and I'm new to chickens. I had a few questions about my chickens. Nearly 3 weeks ago now I got 8 chickens - 2 bluebells, 2 light Sussex, 2 hybrids and 2 silkies. They are point of lay and some of them have just started laying but I'm not sure which ones. They're not laying there eggs in the nest boxes and I put fake eggs in each one to encourage them but they still haven't layed in there. Also 3 of the 5 eggs that have been layed have been cracked how can I stop this? Sorry it's such a long post!

Do you free range them? if so lock them up in the coop for a few days and they should start laying in the nesting boxes and also try putting all there eggs into the nesting boxes. But they are young and should eventually start laying in the boxes. They are rebels when they are young.

to stop the cracking is a little harder subject, but someone will hlp you shortly

 

[Monguire]

Hopefully, you have time to be with them/observe throughout the day. As a chicken newbie, observation will be your first and best friend in learning all things chicken. Just to cover the bases since you are new to chooks:

• Are the chooks on a balanced feed? (i.e., either a quality layer ration or grower/finisher supplemented with calcium on the side)
• Does your coop/run have adequate space for your chooks? Rule of thumb is 4SqFt coop & 10SqFt run space per standard sized bird.
• Do you have adequate nest boxes for your chooks? Rule of thumb is one nest box per 3-4 layers.

As to you questions/issues, observation will be key to determine who lays what. My observation is fairly Orwellian in that the chooks are subjected to video from just about every angle imaginable in the coop/run but live, real-time interaction is just as good. Time/experience will allow you to determine which hen goes with egg though there are dozens of slight variations in color/size/shape that will constantly test/hone your discernment.

As for getting them laying in the boxes, fake eggs are a great tool that you are already utilizing. Gently placing hens in the boxes with the fake eggs will also help. When chooks see a clutch of eggs in a location, they think to themselves that this must be a good/safe place to lay if others are doing it. Darkening the nest boxes a bit can also help encourage laying there. We did this by putting up "curtains" in front of each box. If you have hens laying outside the coop/run, they will need to be locked in for a few days to cement the coop as designated safe-area.

Cracked eggs can be caused by a number of issues. First and foremost comes back to nutrition. Adequate calcium is needed for strong shells and this calcium MUST come from a always-available source (either a quality layer ration or a crushed oyster/egg-shell supplement to grower ration). If they exclusively free-range, it might be possible for them to get all the nutrition they need from the range but most backyarders don't have the luxury of a healthy and varied range of sufficient quality/quantity/size to support our chooks solely. Cracking could also be caused by where they laying. Nesting material in the boxes is usually soft/welcoming to cushion the blow of the egg dropping out of the hen. If there are laying on the hard ground, this could contribute though shells from hens with good calcium levels are fairly robust and should be able to handle a bit of knocking about. Last thing that could cause cracking is the hens inexperience. There is nobody to explain laying to them and they really do get freaked out the first few times these big, heavy round things start falling out of them. Their attention/dexterity/care when walking around/among eggs will increase with experience and they'll be less likely to knock the eggs about.

Hope this helps. Time, experience and a little guidance by you should get them whipped into shape.

 

[crazychick5]

Hello thanks for your replies! My chickens are kept in a converted shed that is 8 foot by 6 foot and i have 8 chickens and 5 nest boxes all with straw in and fake eggs. Unfortunately I can't free range them cause of my dogs but they have a run which is approx 7.5 foot wide and 29 foot long. They have laid all the eggs in the coop accept one which I actually saw get laid cause she was standing on an outside perch and it smashed on the floor :/ the bedding I use is called megazorb it's used for horses where I live and it's kind of like a cat litter it's really easy to clean out you just sift out the poo. They have only starting laying so will the egg shells improve or should I get a supplement for them? They have a big bowl of layers pellets mixed with black oil sun flower seeds, they have it available all the time. I also add garlic granules and a seaweed supplement to there food and apple cider vinegar. They have treats some days like live crickets, dried meal worms, apple, greens. Also they have oyster shell grit sprinkled in there run whenever there is none left. Am I doing things right?

 

[Monguire]

Wow...your coop/run sounds WONDERFUL! That's enough space, I want to move in!

When my pullets first started laying, my wife had the good fortune to be in the coop with them to see their nervous pacing and general agitation when they had an egg just about ready to be laid. She would gnetly place them in the box with the fake eggs and place an arm across the front to keep them from popping right back out. After a couple minutes they would start scratching and settle down to lay. There were a couple die-hards that needed a little more remedial attention, but for the most part once they got over the anxiety of the first few eggs and through the wife's gentle nudging into the boxes they started laying there without fail.

Your megazorb sounds a lot like the SweetPDZ we have here across the pond in the colonies. It is zeolite and it's purpose is to eat ammonia and keep things nice and dry. We use it exclusively in the poop-boards beneath our roosts. It is a WONDERFUL product that keeps our coop smelling clean!

First eggs (in my experience, the first dozen from each pullet) can vary widely in color/size/shell thickness. Their plumbing has just come online and it takes awhile to get the kinks out. Good nutrition is the basis for good laying and it sounds like you have that very well covered. The only question I have is regarding the "oyster shell grit". In my experience, grit and oyster shell are not the same thing. Grit (small, hard stones/pebbles) is needed to help the chooks grind up food in their gizzard. Grit can be purchased and provided full-time or the chickens can just find their own if you have sufficient sand/gravel in the soil of your run. Oyster shell is a calcium supplement that helps ensure the chooks maintain good calcium levels for nice hard egg shells. Since you are on a layer ration, they are pretty much getting all the calcium they need from it. You offering a bit of oyster shell on the side with the calcium-infused layer ration is a wise decision as those who need a bit more calcium or don't eat the requisite quantity of layer ration can top off their calcium through the oyster shell. Amazingly, the chooks will self-regulate calcium and only take more if they need it.

Sounds like you have things VERY well in hand. Best of luck with your flock!

 

[crazychick5]

Thanks I just want to do things right I have got attached to the chooks already and want them to be happy and healthy! so about the grit when I brought it the label said oyster shell grit I did buy other grit before which was small pieces labelled mixed grit? The soil we have here is very Stoney and there are tons of stones everywhere so will that be ok as natural grit or do I need to buy proper grit? I haven't really seen them eat the grit I have brought.

 

[Monguire]

If your avatar is any indication of your soil conditions, then I think they'll be fine with what grit they can scavenge off the ground.

 

[crazychick5]

Yeah that pic is of my alpha hen lol thanks for your help!