Hen pecking others when they go in a nesting box?

[Ladybug2001]

I have four golden sex link hens that are about 20 weeks old now. One hen in particular I am pretty sure is the one laying eggs right now, we have gotten three eggs in about six days, and the last two I have got were in a box and she was right there watching me take them. Well, today I seen one of the smaller hens get in a different nesting box and this hen went over there and pecked her three or four times until she got out of it. Once the small hen was out she went in, shifted the hay around and then went to her nesting box.

Is she going to keep the others from laying? Or will she quit this behavior?

 

[ducky219502]

im not sure.... you might want to google that

 

[yokrow]

We have had similar instances with our girls. They are just reaching 20 weeks as well, and only recently started to lay. One of our sex links was in the nesting box preparing to lay and another hen came into the coop. The first hen suddenly got loud and noisy and didn't stop until the second hen left the coop.
Our assumption is that our girls prefer to lay in privacy as this isn't the first time this has happened.
What we've seen so far is that each hen will go into the coop on their own time and lay their egg, then come back out to eat. By the end of the day we have 3-4 eggs waiting for us.

I'm no expert, but I don't think your other hens will quit laying. If they're free range they may feel comfortable laying elsewhere (ours were laying under trees all over the property) if they are in a run, I suppose its possible they would end up laying outside if they had to? But the may end up like ours and simply find their own times go lay.

 

[Ladybug2001]

Well, our first egg was found under the waterer, but the the other two in the same exact nest. I am guessing the hen that is laying thinks all the nesting boxes are hers but she only wants to use that one? I have five boxes, and I put straw in all of them. At first, all of them but the one that has been laid in were kicked out. So I waited a day and then put more straw in the next box over. I waited again and the next day it looked like the box had been situated for laying but no egg, so I left everything the way it was. Today, I put straw in the three empty boxes and the one hen went in, kicked a bit out of all of them but overall left them full. Then that is when the one hen tried to go in to lay and she pecked her out.

I just went out and checked on them again and the hen that was trying to lay in the box was laying down, I think laying. Though I don't know. I really don't want them laying outside in the run because that will just cause an easter egg hunt for me. All though it isn't a big run, it still would be easy for them to hide the eggs.

I also have have another question, should I leave their eggs until they have a clutch or does it not matter?

 

[bj taylor]

it sounds like your dominant hen wants to make sure her babies are the only ones ( a natural selection). i've read about "curtains" on nest boxes. just a slip of cloth hanging over each nest box. that might solve this because she may not feel the need to dominate all the boxes. i think the "curtain" would need to just lightly dangle over the opening so they don't feel threatened by it, but it gives them some "privacy". worth a try anyway. good luck

 

[yokrow]

Wow! She sounds like a Hen-Boss!
It would be a bit of a pain having to hunt the eggs down. Trust me, I'm familiar with the notion.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter if you leave the clutch or not.
We've been collecting every day, usually as each egg is laid. But recently we decided to leave the eggs in the coop until the end of the day.
I would guess that it's all a matter of preference.

I've heard that it's a good idea to place golf balls into the nest boxes so that the chickens can pick up the right idea about where to lay.
We decided to just keep the eggs in the boxes until the end of the day so it'll do the same thing.
You might try a golf ball in each box to maybe give the hens a little encouragement on where to lay?

You have 5 boxes, yes? How many chickens do you have? And do you know, for sure, that the others are laying or how many are laying?

Another idea might might be to try separating this particular hen for a few days to see if the other ones will go to lay.

 

[Ladybug2001]

I've heard that it's a good idea to place golf balls into the nest boxes so that the chickens can pick up the right idea about where to lay.
We decided to just keep the eggs in the boxes until the end of the day so it'll do the same thing.
You might try a golf ball in each box to maybe give the hens a little encouragement on where to lay?

You have 5 boxes, yes? How many chickens do you have? And do you know, for sure, that the others are laying or how many are laying?



I think they understand where to lay, its just that they can't get in there without being shooed out by the other hen.

Yes, I have five boxes and four hens. I am pretty positive it is only the bossy hen that is laying. I don't think any of the others have laid. The first egg I got was a little small, the next a little bigger and the same with this last egg I've gotten. Which, kind of confirms that its coming from one hen?

I've also noticed a distinct difference in my hens, the bossy one is a lot fuller and plumper in size and with her comb and (can never remember the name of the think on their neck) that thing... The others are a lot smaller and not as red and full.

 

[yokrow]

Ah, okay.
From what I've read it may help if, when the other hens try to go in, remove the bossy hen yourself until the other hen(s) is/are possibly done laying?