Laying Eggs From The Roost

[kuken]

Here is one for all of the smart people on the forum. We have 4 hens all about 6 months old. One started laying about 3 weeks ago. When she started we would find the eggs on the floor of the hen house (no big deal). About a week ago she started dropping the egg while she was on the roost. We are guessing in the middle of the night. The egg hits the poop board and breaks. We have been removing it ASAP so they don't start eating the egg.

My question is; what can we do to get her to stop laying from the roost and start using the nesting box? We tried fake eggs in the box, but they just kick the eggs out. OK, well we used some of our daughters Easter Eggs (maybe they don't like the color

) Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[midget_farms]

There isn't really much you can do to fix this - its because she is a young hen & the urge sneaks up on her. When she gets a few months older her nesting instinct will kick in & you wont have that issue any longer. I had several of my young birds doing that. They are now 10 months old & have not had that issue for a while now.

Good job on removing the eggs - that is a nasty habbit that usually can only be stopped by removal of the bird.

Just be patient & they will figure it all out.

Oh - make sure the nest is appealing to them too - it should be oposite from the roost & be kind of dark. I have double deck nest boxes - the top box is open & they flat refuse to use them - they only use the bottom ones I beleive because they are darker & feel more secure.

 

[alaskachick]

I had 13 chickens all start laying in the same week. I also had some of the girls laying from the roost. Most of the times the eggs were soft shelled. Well it stopped on its own. They are learning to lay and sometimes their timing will be off. Its normal and will pass soon. No worries.

 

[Naughty]

One of my girls did that for awhile... and she did stop after a while - but I also put her in the nesting box to sleep for a few nights (i was a wierd person - moving them to the roost at first - but her I put in the box to ensure the egg would drop there. Now she sleeps on the roost and I find the eggs in the box still - occasionally find an egg under the roost - so I just piled a bunch of pine under where she sleeps to try to save some of them.

 

[cottage19]

We had this problem with a few hens when they first started to lay. We strung a net (the stuff you use to protect fruit trees from birds) uner the roost to catch the "egg bombs." We also tried golf balls in the nests - that didn't work well at all, our girls avoided the nests with the golf balls but after a few weeks we were able to take the net down. Now the girls use the nest boxes or (often) the covered litter box on the coop floor. Sometimes we get an egg on the floor under the nest boxes but we've only had one "egg bomb" on the poop board we removed the net. I would bet that your problem goes away once your hens get a little older and things fall into their natural routine. Good luck.

 

[krazeepolack]

Quote:
I just read this post, which brings up my question--

You say the roost should be "opposite" the nest boxes?? What is the reasoning behind this? I just finished stringing two lights in my coop for the winter daylight thing. One light is above the nests, the other across from them. My chickens will be 4 months old in a couple more days, so I wanted lighting for when they start laying. My roost is on the same wall as the nests, just alongside them. Should I change this arrangement??

 

[dirtdoctor]

Sounds like it is time to eat some chicken...... oh wait... try putting a cover over the nesting box..... someplace secret.... then put the bird in the nest box after she roosts..... if not .. maybe that bird will figure it out later.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Quote:
I just read this post, which brings up my question--

You say the roost should be "opposite" the nest boxes?? What is the reasoning behind this? I just finished stringing two lights in my coop for the winter daylight thing. One light is above the nests, the other across from them. My chickens will be 4 months old in a couple more days, so I wanted lighting for when they start laying. My roost is on the same wall as the nests, just alongside them. Should I change this arrangement??

There is no reason for a light in your nest. As others are saying a hen wants a dark cubbie to lay in. The light in coop is to keep them awake to eat and drink more and add the vitamins via sun rays (use a low watt red spectrum bulb). They get a natural time of laying, each of my girls are nearly able to time your watch by when they lay. Over half lay by 9 am, light turns on at 5:30. Many go with the 14 to 16 hour lighting. I personally just have 12 hours. Max here in summer is 15 so as long as I keep em up for 12 during our darkest 8 hours of light I'm happy and so far they like it too. Granted they are still considered pullets but am getting over 3 doz per week from 7 chickens.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It's like having your morning coffee and imediatly wanting to use the bathroom. A chicken is awaken by the light and things start working....your eggs will be in morning once they settle out with their routine. Earlier you have the light turn on is the earlier you have your eggs. So there is no reason to light your nesting box. They don't want to lay until they wake up by the main coop light anyway then want that dark secure looking nest to lay in.