Help with egg breakers

[WhoDatChick]

Hi all! I am new here and also new to chickens But I have been stalking these threads for some time now and finally got up enough nerve to join BYC I just love all the great advice and helpful tips that I have gotten. Although I fear I will be a little slow as to how all of this works as I have had a tough time with just the registration Anywho, here is my predicament.... my chickens fight over one nest box (normal from what I understand) but because of this, every other day or so they break one of the eggs. So I was wondering if I should take out the dividers (I have three nests) and just let it be one long one that way they won’t feel the need to get on top of one another and they can just lay right next to each other? I was also thinking of hanging a curtain across the front of all nests that way they still feel that it is a secluded spot? Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens yes curtains will help but so will being able to remove the eggs as they are layed for now I use plastic storage tubs from Walmart with the front cut out lets them have privacy

 

[WhoDatChick]

Thank you! I do check for eggs VERY often as my gals just started laying (and I’m ever so excited ) like, so much so that my neighbors probably think I own 100 chickens to be getting THAT many eggs that often! Also, was wondering how do you put your info of how many pets, your avatar, add pictures, where you are from, etc....? And I also realize that I’m probably on the wrong thread but this was one of the only options it gave me to choose from and since I was asking about nest boxes thought it would be okay..... Did I mention I’d be slow at this

 

[50-45-1]

Hi and welcome!
Do you have plenty of nesting material like straw or shavings in the nest boxes? Also i put fake eggs or golf balls on all my nests, it tells the girls other hens have found this spot a safe place to lay eggs.
I get eggs in all my nests but there is still a favorite, the one on the end where i think it is a little darker.
Lots of good information here!
Welcome to the backyard!

 

[WhoDatChick]

Thanks so much! I feel so special to be getting responses I will try fake eggs in the other nests... good idea. And yes, lots of shavings and pretty clean I might add... As for all of my other questions as to how all of this works.... I just saw the video that explains everything ..... Sorry

 

[Feathers Brady]

Hiya! Welcome whodatchick! Love the name tag!
I'm new around here and I'm not sure how to tell you to post but I'm sure you'll get all the help you need from BYC members.
Sorry I can't be of more help!

 

[WhoDatChick]

That’s okay and thanks so much

 

[Feathers Brady]

I use excelsior pads on the bottoms of nest boxes and when I run out of pads I use burlap and heavy layer of straw to cushion the egg. I have four nest boxes with six hens. Golf balls in each. The girls use two favorite ones and sometimes I'll find three egs with the golf ball. Only once I found an eaten egg and decided the hen wasn't happy with her art that day. It only happened once. Maybe it cracked on the drop. I'm not sure. I also have curtains that seem to make everyone happy.

 

[jthornton]

I have a single roll out nest box and I've seen 5 at a time in there. Clean eggs every time.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/roll-out-nest-box-mk3.73816/

I recently added a second no-see curtain in the egg box in the back. No more hens reaching under the divider to pull an egg back.

JT

 

[WhoDatChick]

Thanks so much for the tips! Today I bought 2 fake eggs from TSC and I’m also gonna cover the tops of the next boxes so that they cannot roost on the dividers... they do that on one of them and mess one of the nests, so I’m pretty sure that is why they definitely do not even go into that one.... Thanks again