Laying feed and Nesting box help...please

[BASK4chicks]

So, I'm new to this forum and only 15 weeks of chicken raising experience. We have 4 laying chickens in a delux coop (we built it) and I'm ready to switch them from the starter feed to laying feed...right? Also, we use Koop Clean in the coop but the ladies keep pulling it out from the nesting boxes. Should we try something else for the box bedding or just keep putting it back? I'll post some pics one of these days.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! If your girls have started laying then yes swoping them onto layer feed is fine. I would just mix some of the layer into the starter at first gradually increasing the layers as you go so they don't get any upset from changing from one to another in one go.

As for the nest box you could persevere with the coop clean and see if they leave it alone as they get older or try something else now. I've had this before with one of my groups, they pulled and scratched straw out, did the same with shavings and in the end I put them sand in so they could not scratch it out as much. Making your nest boxes as dark as you can helped I found too.

Wishing you the very best of luck and enjoy BYC

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

X2 on Yorkshire Coop. Yes, you can get them switched over now if they are laying or close to laying. Mixing a 50/50 mix will help with any digestive issues they could have with a feed change. However I would get some oyster shell in them now too. You can put this in a separate feeder or small tub. They will need this calcium to put on a hard shell and for the contractions of the uterus and oviduct to push out those eggs.

Young layers often kick out nesting material from the nest boxes. A couple things help stop this...put a tall lip on your nest boxes to keep the stuff inside. Several inches or more will do it. Next, always keep fake eggs in the nest boxes. Young layers as older ones too, like to lay where other birds have laid. This tells them it is safe to do their business there and not be harmed. So if they see some fake eggs in the boxes, they will quickly settle in for laying theirs. If no eggs are present, they tend to dig through the material looking for an egg.

Good luck with your birds and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask around the forums.

Welcome to our flock!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

Are they showing signs of approaching laying - their combs will get redder and if you touch their backs they may squat like they would for a rooster. If so eggs should be appearing shortly.

 

[BASK4chicks]

Good to know. They don't seem like they are close to laying. My concern is that I've got them on a medicated feed and I'd want that out of their system before they lay eggs right?

 

[BASK4chicks]

Thanks for the help. I'll get them some Oyster shell today and add a higher lip to the nesting boxes.