hens pooping on eggs in nest box

[newfie bullet]

i have 5 speckled Sussex hens and one rooster, about three years old , in a pen 10 feet x 12 feet, they have six nesting boxes in there pen , for some reason they poop in there nest with their eggs when they lay. there pen is clean with fresh sawdust and straw in there all the time. they don't sleep in there nest either they sleep on there roost all the time, i have been collecting eggs to incubate and don't want to set eggs that have been dirty , i pick up the eggs as soon as they lay usually since i'm around the barn most of the time , not likely they bring poop in on they feet from the floor , there pen is real clean. i don't give them scrapes or treats just regular 17% layer ration usually but now 19% game bird breeder ration for the hatching eggs , puzzled in Newfoundland

 

[aart]

I have a couple birds that almost always poop when they lay....broken 'two way door'.
Is the poop solid or liquid?

 

[LaFleche]

They might be in need of de-worming, or they might be too fat.

Sometimes it's both

 

[newfie bullet]

there poop is solid and i do deworm them with ivermic for cattle , thats all i can get here. and they may be a little over weight

 

[aart]

Do you think all of them are doing it?
Did it start when you upped the protein?

 

[newfie bullet]

no not with the protein up grade they been doing it all the time, don't know if its a specific hen or not, iv'e been hatching some eggs and it seems the sussex eggs are harder to hatch than my buff orpingtons , the opingtons don't soil there eggs and the buffs are 5 yrs old or older , but the buff rooster is just one year old

 

[aart]

no not with the protein up grade they been doing it all the time, don't know if its a specific hen or not, iv'e been hatching some eggs and it seems the sussex eggs are harder to hatch than my buff orpingtons , the opingtons don't soil there eggs and the buffs are 5 yrs old or older , but the buff rooster is just one year old

Spend a day 'stalking' the nests.
You may be able to find out who is soiling the nests,
and collect eggs for hatching that are cleaner.
Tho many folks hatch eggs with a bit of poop on them....
....or they wash them before incubating.

 

[LaFleche]

And inspect the butts of your hens, sometimes there is too much fluff and the poop gets stuck to the feathers around the vent.