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

[ChickengirlK]

I like the hammock idea!

 

[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.