Laying from roost

[BusyChickenMom]

I have two chickens who are laying from the roost and cracking their eggs. I have detachable roosting bars. I am planning on taking them out but these two chickens seem to want to lay at night. Do you think a light in the nesting box would be better?

Thanks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are they? How long have they been laying? If they have just started patience might be your best friend. If they have been laying a while can you post photos of the coop showing roosts and nests?

 

[janiedoe]

I've had this happen a few times. I have about three hens who are flightier than the others. Once it was when we had a bobcat hanging around, another time it was a raccoon invasion. But generally, it has happened when we have had a very severe storm.

Just in case, I'd advise you to look around for signs of predators. Especially if they are mature layers, and it's a new issue.

 

[BusyChickenMom]

How old are they? How long have they been laying? If they have just started patience might be your best friend. If they have been laying a while can you post photos of the coop showing roosts and nests?

They are on their second week of laying. I put fake eggs into the nesting boxes to encourage them to lay there but they take them out. Maybe I just need to wait a couple more weeks?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's strange for two of them to be laying from the roosts that long. Many, maybe most, pullets seem to know an egg is coming soon and about a week before they start to lay they look for a good spot for a nest. I like those pullets.

But some don't appear to expect it. They seem surprised and just drop the egg wherever they may be, from the roosts or just walking around. Usually they can hold the egg for a while if they need to.

There are triggers that tell them when to release the yolk to start the internal egg making process so the egg will be ready to lay during the day. Light is one of those triggers. Is the coop dark at night?

To me it is unusual that you have two that have not got the triggers worked out and are dropping them from the roost. Usually they work the bugs out of that system in a few days, at least better than that. If this goes on or longer than two weeks you may have a problem patience doesn't solve.

You said they take fake eggs out of the nests. Where do they wind up, under the roosts? Are they actually laying down there instead of from the roosts and something else is cracking the eggs? You might try raising the lip on those nests to make it harder for them to scratch those fake eggs out if that is what is going on.

 

[BusyChickenMom]

It's strange for two of them to be laying from the roosts that long. Many, maybe most, pullets seem to know an egg is coming soon and about a week before they start to lay they look for a good spot for a nest. I like those pullets.

But some don't appear to expect it. They seem surprised and just drop the egg wherever they may be, from the roosts or just walking around. Usually they can hold the egg for a while if they need to.

There are triggers that tell them when to release the yolk to start the internal egg making process so the egg will be ready to lay during the day. Light is one of those triggers. Is the coop dark at night?

To me it is unusual that you have two that have not got the triggers worked out and are dropping them from the roost. Usually they work the bugs out of that system in a few days, at least better than that. If this goes on or longer than two weeks you may have a problem patience doesn't solve.

You said they take fake eggs out of the nests. Where do they wind up, under the roosts? Are they actually laying down there instead of from the roosts and something else is cracking the eggs? You might try raising the lip on those nests to make it harder for them to scratch those fake eggs out if that is what is going on.

The coop is dark at night.

 

[BusyChickenMom]

The coop is dark at night.

Lol this is what happens when kids try to help. The coop is dark at night and they have successfully laid one egg in the nesting box and some in the run. They put the fake eggs in the center of the coop. But I find the cracked eggs directly under the roosts. Maybe I just need to get up earlier to make sure it isn’t the other chickens crushing them when they are jumping off the roost.

 

[Sussex19]

Do the eggs have full thickness shells?
Something that I've noticed is if they've got thin shells for whatever reason (like just started laying, lack of calcium, etc) then they'll drop them off the roost.
They've always stopped doing it ones the underlying reason has been corrected.

 

[BusyChickenMom]

Lol this is what happens when kids try to help. The coop is dark at night and they have successfully laid one egg in the nesting box and some in the run. They put the fake eggs in the center of the coop. But I find the cracked eggs directly under the roosts. Maybe I just need to get up earlier to make sure it isn’t the other chickens crushing them when they are jumping off the roost.

Do the eggs have full thickness shells?
Something that I've noticed is if they've got thin shells for whatever reason (like just started laying, lack of calcium, etc) then they'll drop them off the roost.
They've always stopped doing it ones the underlying reason has been corrected.

I was having problems with thin shells. These ones weren’t particularly thick that’s for sure. I have given them layer feed and oyster shells. How long until it should resolve? This could be the issue.

 

[Sussex19]

I don't really know, it seems to depend on the hen; it's something I've struggled with a bit.
Sometimes it just seems to take longer for some pullets to settle in to egg laying then others.
What I sometimes do is just pop a calcium tablet in their beak, if there's any doubt as to if they're actually getting enough.