Laying Eggs on the Roost?

[Kacey Elle]

Has anyone ever had a chicken lay an egg while roosting at night? I have three chickens and one nesting box that everyone uses. I've never found an egg anywhere else but the nesting box. In the last two weeks, one of my chicken's eggs has been next to the roost in the early morning. It happened three times and other days her egg was found normally in the nest box. I have DL but there was no "nest" outline around the egg like the hen purposely laid it there. No cracks or other signs that the egg dropped from a height. Am I crazy to think that the egg just...slips out while she sleeps???

 

[DobieLover]

I have a hen who had always been an afternoon layer. Sometimes she gets caught off guard and ends up laying off the roost.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is she a younger layer? Some just don't hold them until morning.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oh goodness, I'm so glad I searched for this very question! Out of my nine RIRs, two of them drop their eggs while roosting. I know they aren't actually laying them in the shavings below the roost because the eggs are standing upright in the shavings. And they are always in the same spots every morning. They just started laying last month, so I hope they finally figure out the nest boxes. Everyone else seems to have gotten the hang of it.

Some take a bit longer than others.

Welcome to BYC.

 

[Clucker Mama]

Oh goodness, I'm so glad I searched for this very question! Out of my nine RIRs, two of them drop their eggs while roosting. I know they aren't actually laying them in the shavings below the roost because the eggs are standing upright in the shavings. And they are always in the same spots every morning. They just started laying last month, so I hope they finally figure out the nest boxes. Everyone else seems to have gotten the hang of it.

 

[Kacey Elle]

@Clucker Mama I'm glad this thread helped you! I do think it's odd that it's happening that consistently. For me, it turned out that it never happened again after I created this thread. It wasn't a regular occurrence for my girl; I still don't know why it started or stopped but it was a blip. It seems weird if it's happening all the time.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have found that many young birds do this and usually out grow roost laying. However if it's an older bird, they are develping a laying issue of some sort. At least this is what I've seen in my flocks.

 

[Kacey Elle]

Huh. Good to know it's possible! I thought it was crazy. She's not young, though. She's two years old. A SLW, if that means anything.

 

[Clucker Mama]

I keep one fake egg in each nest, for years now, helps spread the love.
Have these 2 birds been laying for a month, or did they start more recently?
Are they low birds in the pecking order?

Started getting eggs on Dec. 5th when they were just over 21 weeks. I don’t know who started first, but within three weeks, I was getting 8-9 eggs daily from the nine RIRs. I have no idea the pecking order. I do know one of the Whiting True Blues seems to be the dominant girl, but the WTBs were about 2-1/2 weeks behind the others in laying. And they are not as consistent, but at least ALL their eggs are in the boxes.

Of course, out of five nest boxes, the girls seem to prefer two of them as that’s where I find most eggs.

 

[Clucker Mama]

@Clucker Mama I'm glad this thread helped you! I do think it's odd that it's happening that consistently. For me, it turned out that it never happened again after I created this thread. It wasn't a regular occurrence for my girl; I still don't know why it started or stopped but it was a blip. It seems weird if it's happening all the time.

I’m going to try putting the ceramic eggs back in all the nest boxes as suggested by aart. Can’t hurt, and maybe they’ll figure it out.