Help! She is laying eggs in the ‘poo catcher’

[FLXCHIX]

My first hen just started laying eggs this week, which is awesome. Great thing is she is laying in the coop, bad thing, is she hops on her roost and drops them into the ‘poo catcher’ underneath the roost. I have the nesting boxes filled with shavings, a golf ball, functioning as a fake egg In view, but she decides to drop them in their toilet..lol. Thoughts?

 

[Callender Girl]

My thought, while not particularly helpful, is that some hens are just contrary. Several of mine, who have lived in the same coops almost all their lives, will -- at various times -- start dropping eggs from the roost onto the poop board or, worse, onto the coop floor, which normally results in cracked or broken eggs. And, like you, I have nesting material in the boxes, fake eggs and plenty of boxes.

Hope someone out there has a solution beyond cleaning the poop board multiple times a day.

 

[neo71665]

New egg layer

 

[RojoMarz]

It happens...mine have been laying for 4 months and I still get an occasional egg on the poop board.

 

[aart]

My first hen just started laying eggs this week, which is awesome. Great thing is she is laying in the coop, bad thing, is she hops on her roost and drops them into the ‘poo catcher’ underneath the roost. I have the nesting boxes filled with shavings, a golf ball, functioning as a fake egg In view, but she decides to drop them in their toilet..lol. Thoughts?

Pics of nests?
Have they ever been in the nests checking them out?
Might put one in there to see.
@rosemarythyme catches them getting ready to lay and puts them in a nest.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Pics of nests?
Have they ever been in the nests checking them out?
Might put one in there to see.
@rosemarythyme catches them getting ready to lay and puts them in a nest.

So here's how I train them to use a nest box:

Now this isn't practical if you don't have time to stalk them, but what I did was I learned the problem bird(s) laying schedules, and when they went to their preferred spot to lay, I'd go and pick them up, stick them in a nest box, and barricade them in using my arms to cover the exit. 30-60 seconds was all they needed to calm down and start exploring the box and decide that maybe it wasn't such a bad place to be. They each started reliably using the boxes after that.

Alternatively, some folks design "doors" on their nest boxes so birds can be locked in, which basically does the same as above, but forces the bird to stay in the nest box (whereas once I see them exploring and sitting down in the nest, I leave them to it and walk away).

 

[FLXCHIX]

So here's how I train them to use a nest box:

Now this isn't practical if you don't have time to stalk them, but what I did was I learned the problem bird(s) laying schedules, and when they went to their preferred spot to lay, I'd go and pick them up, stick them in a nest box, and barricade them in using my arms to cover the exit. 30-60 seconds was all they needed to calm down and start exploring the box and decide that maybe it wasn't such a bad place to be. They each started reliably using the boxes after that.

Alternatively, some folks design "doors" on their nest boxes so birds can be locked in, which basically does the same as above, but forces the bird to stay in the nest box (whereas once I see them exploring and sitting down in the nest, I leave them to it and walk away).

Thank you. My one concern is that the boxes Might be too small. From what I’ve read, they should be about 12” x 12”. Mine are 11” across and back to front 9” to the frame of the box, but the frame is 3” deep, so that their chests would be on the frame, if that makes since. I can send a picture. Trapping them in a small box concerns me. can they even turn around in there? I’ve never seen any of My hens in the nesting boxes yet, but I only have one layer (they are all are just coming into laying age.) My girls free range too, so obviously looking to avoid the egg hunt. Thank you for your help!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you. My one concern is that the boxes Might be too small. From what I’ve read, they should be about 12” x 12”. Mine are 11” across and back to front 9” to the frame of the box, but the frame is 3” deep, so that their chests would be on the frame, if that makes since. I can send a picture. Trapping them in a small box concerns me. can they even turn around in there? I’ve never seen any of My hens in the nesting boxes yet, but I only have one layer (they are all are just coming into laying age.) My girls free range too, so obviously looking to avoid the egg hunt. Thank you for your help!

I've seen photos of chickens in some pretty snug boxes and it doesn't seem to stop them, but if it becomes an issue, is there any way to enlarge the boxes? Or replace them with something bigger?

Mine are larger than most, 14.5" cubed.

You could still try picking them up and putting them in there to see what happens... they might take to them, who knows?