Hen laying eggs while on roost

[rooster58]

I have 16 hens and sometimes I will find a egg on my tarp poop board that's under the roost. It's a different egg every time. It only happens about once a week. Anything I can do to prevent this? I have 8 nesting boxes for the 16 hens even though they only use about three or four of them. Thanks

 

[sunflour]

A puzzle, but more info please:

Do you think the eggs are being layed from the roost daytime or a night?

Are you using supplemental lighting?

 

[rooster58]

At night for sure. Yes I am using supplemental lighting.

A puzzle, but more info please:

Do you think the eggs are being layed from the roost daytime or a night?

Are you using supplemental lighting?

 

[sunflour]

At night for sure. Yes I am using supplemental lighting.

Maybe the light is the reason - they are still needing to lay an egg but ready to go to sleep?

 

[rooster58]

The light is on a timer and it only comes on in the morning. Maybe they aren't ready to get out of bed yet?

 

[aart]

Is there lots of floor space for them to move around when that light comes on in the morning?
Are all the birds the same age.....and how old??

Not sure there's any way to prevent it......fickle chickens.
New layers especially will lay elsewhere than nests.

 

[rooster58]

I think there is lots of floor space. The coop is 12x12 with 18 birds total. As far as I know the birds were all hatched march of 16 so almost a year old. It doesn't happen that often as this is only the third or fourth time since I got the birds about a month ago. The guy I got the flock from had lights on 24/7. Might take some time for them to get used to the dark.

Is there lots of floor space for them to move around when that light comes on in the morning?
Are all the birds the same age.....and how old??

Not sure there's any way to prevent it......fickle chickens.
New layers especially will lay elsewhere than nests.

 

[aart]

I think there is lots of floor space. The coop is 12x12 with 18 birds total. As far as I know the birds were all hatched march of 16 so almost a year old. It doesn't happen that often as this is only the third or fourth time since I got the birds about a month ago. The guy I got the flock from had lights on 24/7. Might take some time for them to get used to the dark.
Quote: Sounds great for space.
How many hours of light are you giving them?
I wouldn't worry about it....it does happen....why in this case, may never know.

 

[rooster58]

Sounds great for space.
How many hours of light are you giving them?
I wouldn't worry about it....it does happen....why in this case, may never know.

I'm giving them a little more than 13 hours of good light right now. Light comes on about 4am and it is still getting pretty dark about 5pm. I was planning on adjusting the timer to come on about 4:30 since we are starting to get a little more light now. I'm definitely glad I use a tarp instead of an actual board so the eggs don't break. Lol

 

[sunflour]

I think there is lots of floor space. The coop is 12x12 with 18 birds total. As far as I know the birds were all hatched march of 16 so almost a year old. It doesn't happen that often as this is only the third or fourth time since I got the birds about a month ago. The guy I got the flock from had lights on 24/7. Might take some time for them to get used to the dark.

I'll bet you it's their hormone cycles just need to get some correction - 24/7 !!! OMG that was quite an abusive situation IMO.