I want that nest.

[aart]

Yep....
It takes about 25 hours for an egg to form, a new ova is released shortly after an egg is laid.
A new egg could be laid approximately every 25-26 hours, so an hour or so later every day until one is laid late in the day and another ova might not be released until the following day, so a day off. BUT..very hen is different and only time will tell what a particular hen/pullets schedule might be. Not every hen/pullet lays every day..some only lay a few a week.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Hi aart, they are not really identical nests, I use cardboard boxes from the supermarket, the one the regular layer goes in is the one that has been in the coop for a while, I added another but it is a similar size but obviously not the main one, that could be the reason.

I saw the Maran in the second nest I added, but she must have gone in the regular one because the straw was scattered about, so it looks like she decided on the new one.
You are probably right in this case and I'll leave things as they are.

Hi Col,
One of my flocks of 7 chickens have two identical nest boxes but wait in line to lay in one box only, always! I think sometimes they will do things their own way regardless of how we try to 'fix' things

 

[aart]

my flocks of 7 chickens have two identical nest boxes but wait in line to lay in one box only, always!

Have you tried using fake eggs in both nests?

 

[Col1948]

@aart, Funny you mentioned that, with them only seemed to be going in the end nest I did put a fake egg in the middle nest and all 3 laid in it.
I like experimenting to see their behaviour, it's interesting.

 

[aart]

@aart, Funny you mentioned that, with them only seemed to be going in the end nest I did put a fake egg in the middle nest and all 3 laid in it.
I like experimenting to see their behaviour, it's interesting.

Yes, same here!

 

[Col1948]

Well to continue, this morning they all came out then after a few minutes of scratching about one of them went back in the coop to the nest, after a while she came out but no egg, then another almost straight after went on the nest.
She laid and egg, but then the first one returned, I saw her come out of the coop after a while but then I noticed the egg was part way out of her, as she was walking it dropped.
It dropped on the hard floor but luckily it didn't break, one of the other hens went after it as it was rolling but I grabbed it quick, that's the first time I've seen that.
Nothing went in the coop to startle her because I was watching, all I can think of is maybe she thought she had laid it seeing as it was almost out as she was walking, but normally she lays normal.

 

[aart]

Ha!
Was the egg 'partway out'....or stuck to the butt fluff?
Eggs are wet with bloom when they are laid, if the bird sits back down and the bloom dries it can stick the feathers.

 

[Col1948]

Hi,
When I saw it, the egg looked like it was part way out but now I've read your post, I'm not sure.
It was very sticky plus it had some straw stuck to part of it, so maybe you are right, the butt fluff is pretty thick so it could look like it was part way out when it wasn't.