Laying eggs while on roost

[vweers]

My newest layer keeps laying eggs on the roost. This is her third one and two of them were broken since they dropped. Any way to convince them to get into the nesting box? She won't go in there, my other layer will always go into the box. She laid this one early enough that there was no way to encourage her to go into the box. not sure it would have worked anyways.

 

[luckylindy2]

i am having the same problem!!! i have 6 hens that are just starting to lay, and they are also dropping them from the perch...i guess it takes a while for them to get the hang of it? its heartbreaking that all the eggs are getting broken..what to do, what to do..

 

[vweers]

I know. I hope she figures it out soon. I hope the rest don't take a clue from her. Lol

 

[MindyNE]

I have a new layer that does this also. For the last 4 days she has laid an egg below the roost. The one today was a double yolk and broken! I put some golf balls in the boxes so hopefully she figures it out soon. I would love to get a double yolk egg unbroken.

 

[vweers]

Glad I am not the only one. Every time I put a golf ball in, they knock it out. So I guess I will have to wait it out.

 

[Ripple42]

I remember having that problem!I kept my 4 ladies in a stall of the stable with their roosts and raised nesting boxes on one side. Only one lady was laying, but would lay on the roost : (
I thought, what if I take away the roosts? So that's what I did... I went with a torch after dark to check on them (I couldn't help but worry they were stressing) & they were huddled in the top nesting box, happy as Larry : D
Afternoon feed & lockup time the next day, there was an egg in the nesting box!
I left the stall like that for a week before I put the roosts back in, and didn't have another problem with eggs laid outside the nesting box : D
Hope this helps!

 

[ChickenMammX4]

When mine first started laying we found several eggs on the poop board under the roost. It took a couple of weeks and some changes to the nesting boxes to get everyone consistantly using them.

Make sure the nesting boxes are easliy accessable and private.

 

[vweers]

They are accessable but private not really. Not sure I can change anything as the set up of the coop is pretty hard to change. I bought it used and it is not very easy to change the set up. The roosts are directly across from the nesting boxes. I wish I could move it but it would end up making a new coop which we can't afford and my hubby is too busy. Maybe we can put curtains in front but I am not sure how easy that would be to do. The one laying on the roosts lays really early so it is possible she is laying over night or before they all leave the coop in the am where the other one lays later in the morning.

 

[aart]

Glad I am not the only one. Every time I put a golf ball in, they knock it out. So I guess I will have to wait it out.

Put higher fronts on the nests(3-4") to keep fake eggs and bedding in the nest.

 

[vweers]

Put higher fronts on the nests(3-4") to keep fake eggs and bedding in the nest.

I can try, this coop wasnt' made by us and we have made several alterations but I will have to see if we can do that. The longer we have this coop the more I am kicking myself to really have reasearched and decided more what I wanted. this coop has not worked well for us at all.