Hen laid egg from roost??

[Pemberton85]

My chickens have slept outside since we got them, which wasn’t a problem because it’s been so nice. It’s finally starting to get cold and most of my girls have migrated to the coop to sleep. But there’s always 2 or 3 that we have to go out there and put in the coop. Last night when we moved them, I noticed an egg on the ground under one!! I got 8 eggs out of 9 hens yesterday, which has been the norm since they started laying. (I’m a first time owner and they are first year chickens that just started laying not quite a month ago).

Why would she have laid from the roost? After dark at that??

 

[21hens-incharge]

The occasional roost egg is pretty normal.

I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[WIchickMama]

It can happen. I know I had a couple lay from the roost, either at bed time or early morning, when they were first figuring it out. I also had one big Brahma that used to go into the nesting box but either didn't finish or the egg got stuck in all her fluff on her butt and it would be on the floor of the coop. They figured it all out though and now fight for 1 nesting box.

 

[DobieLover]

It happens to pullets (and hens that are still laying) during the shorter days. The egg is ready to be laid after the sun goes down and she can't see well enough to get to the nest.

I only have three hens laying ATM and I am loosing over 50% of the blue eggs because her cycle is hitting after she's gone to roost. They hit the board and crack and then it gets finished off in the morning when the sun comes up.

Leaving a very dim light burning can help. I sometimes leave the exterior coop lights on which provides dim indirect light in the coop. It is just enough for the chickens to see by and maneuver around in the coop.

I turn it on so I can see well enough to move birds if needed and to do head count. If the girls are being particularly nasty to each other at lock up, I turn off the exterior lights so they can't see well enough to really pummel their roost mates. I did that last night and lost another blue egg.

 

[Pemberton85]

It happens to pullets (and hens that are still laying) during the shorter days. The egg is ready to be laid after the sun goes down and she can't see well enough to get to the nest.

I only have three hens laying ATM and I am loosing over 50% of the blue eggs because her cycle is hitting after she's gone to roost. They hit the board and crack and then it gets finished off in the morning when the sun comes up.

Leaving a very dim light burning can help. I sometimes leave the exterior coop lights on which provides dim indirect light in the coop. It is just enough for the chickens to see by and maneuver around in the coop.

I turn it on so I can see well enough to move birds if needed and to do head count. If the girls are being particularly nasty to each other at lock up, I turn off the exterior lights so they can't see well enough to really pummel their roost mates. I did that last night and lost another blue egg.

Ohhh sorry you’re loosing eggs but I appreciate your reply!!! Their coop was made out of the back half of a shed, and I have a storage and sitting area in the front half. I usually leave the light on in there until they have all gotten to “bed”, but I turned it out a bit early last night…. Perhaps that could have been an issue

 

[DobieLover]

Ohhh sorry you’re loosing eggs but I appreciate your reply!!! Their coop was made out of the back half of a shed, and I have a storage and sitting area in the front half. I usually leave the light on in there until they have all gotten to “bed”, but I turned it out a bit early last night…. Perhaps that could have been an issue

Try a very low wattage night light in the storage room. You don't want it too bright or they may end up bickering the night away.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Another example of the curious mysteries of chickens. We had a few drop from the roost when they were finishing up their first molt. It seemed their timing got a bit off. It was a temporary situation though, and it was all sorted out pretty quickly and with no intervention on my part. (Aegis, the rooster, was not amused, however. I saw him standing by an egg in the bedding, lecturing one poor girl and was clearly reminding her she should leave her eggs in the box he was pointing to.)

I think your thoughts on the lighting are pertinent. Chickens seem to be creatures of habit, and when something in their routine is altered they can get a little scattered.