How to stop chicken from laying while roosting????

[smccuen]

Hi, I like the idea of a egg hamock for a soft landing but the poo buildup would be a pain. I've been using shelving from an old wire bookshelf so the eggs are caught and poo can be pushed through and collected easily. It's screwed and cable tied to the single roost and works well. The wheelbarrow of wood shavings and sand, takes 4 to 6 weeks before a change is needed, if turned over daily.

what a neat idea! I'll have to keep that in mind. My current coop is not big enough for me to enter - I rake it out every few months from the front and back doors.

 

[ChickengirlK]

I like the hammock idea!

 

[Reschimnee]

I have a hen that has also become a bomber. She drops her egg from the roost and it hits the ladder that’s inside the coop. (Not my design, coop and chickens were given to me...looking for a new coop). I think I know which roost she is dropping from, but I’m worried that putting something underneath that roost will cause issues of them getting up/down the ladder. Their flight feathers are clipped now because all 4 decided one day to fly out of the yard and were all flocked together in the street (fun times that was), so if I remove the ladder at night, how will they get to the roosts and laying boxes, is also a worry.

 

[aart]

so if I remove the ladder at night, how will they get to the roosts and laying boxes, is also a worry.

Ramps, flat board with cleats.
Start a new thread for your coop mod or new design.

 

[Reschimnee]

Ramps, flat board with cleats.
Start a new thread for your coop mod or new design.

The egg will still break if it hits a flat board/ramp. At least with the ladder it’s a 50/50 chance it will drop between the rungs. I think I will try moving the ladder into a different position so that the egg will land on the softer floor until I get the new coop.

 

[bayareapilot]

The last five days one of our chickens has been dropping her egg during the night while on the roost.

Having the same problem. I have a 24/7 video camera and the hen that does it seems to do it just a little before 4 a.m. I have a 1 watt red bulb off to the side of one of the nesting boxes that is controlled by a digital timer. I think I'm going to set it to turn on a little after 3:30 am, so the hen can see the box if she needs it. She just started doing it a week or so ago.

I don't know if it works for your coop but I'd suggest a thick layer of all-purpose sand on the floor of the coop - I've notice it often helps the eggs a little bit with a soft-land.

BTW, I'll post if the time change on the 1 watt red light's timer, in one of the nesting boxes encourages her to head over into the box before 'confidence is high' and she drops her 'egg bomb' ...

 

[Draya]

I had a hen who insisted on laying from the roost, during the day! I tried blocking it off, but ended up with the patented egg hammock. She used it a couple of times before moving her bad self to the nesting box. She's a very reliable layer now. I did have one BO that laid a few night eggs before she got control of her machine. How long has it been?

Thank you so much for posting this reply and photo! I have never had a chicken lay from the roosting bars before, but I figured out that was what was happening and made a hammock and this morning success! I hope that my pullets will get the hang of the nesting box soon. Some already use it.