Laying in coop litter

[Reinbeau]

I've got an EE laying one green egg every other day or so - but she's not using the nest boxes (there are at least six other hens laying in those same boxes). Anything I can do to encourage her to lay in the box and not in the corner?

 

[LynneP]

Check to see she can easily access the nest box. Is she young? Might be that she isn't aware yet that she's about to lay...takes time...

 

[Reinbeau]

Oh yea, she's got easy access to it, they all do. I'll bet you're right, she was acting really funny this morning, didn't want to go out the pop door and ran around beneath the roost making this growling noise - she probably didn't know what was happening! She did make a little depression in the litter for her egg. Hopefully she'll catch on! They're all the same age, 24 weeks old tomorrow, so everyone is basically a new layer

 

[TurtleChick]

i only have 4 hens, so i'm not one to talk... but i'm gonna talk anyway!

just in case you weren't aware (and tell me to shush if you were aware!

) you need 1 nest box for every 4-5 hens you have...

congrats on your cute lil ee eggs! well, and ALL the eggs, since all your girls are new layers!

 

[Reinbeau]

Thank you, Turtlechick, I did know that - we've got four nestboxes for 14 hens, so that's covered!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

2 of my hens lay while sitting on the roost, and the eggs fall and sometimes break. It's a bummer. So count yourself lucky that your eggs are in one piece!

 

[Flycropper]

One of my young hens was doing the same thing. I added another egg box and she took it over but I also think it was related to her being so young.