Lots of Broken Eggs-HELP

[israelmeesterkat]

I have 7 pullets that are just starting to lay. Two of them has started laying and most of the time, they are roosting when the egg falls. I am guessing this is the case since the eggs have been under the roosting stick broken and on the floor. The one hen has laid eggs in the corner of the coop a few times but there are still the occasional broken ones under the roost. I have a 6 hole nest box. None of the chickens go near it. I have a few wooden eggs in the box and hay for bedding. What can I do to get the hens to use the nest box???
I am not sure which hens are the ones laying. I have been thinking about putting a camera in the coop so I can watch them, but I think watching may drive me crazy!
Thanks,
Tina

 

[onthespot]

, from Riverside, California!

Sorry you are losing your eggs from the roost! How frustrating. Do they have oystershell available for calcium? That will help with eggs that break easily, but nothing will save an egg that takes a long drop from a perch. You could run a net under the perch to catch eggs, or a pile of wood shavings or sawdust or something. Good luck. and welcome to BYC!

 

[Andi]

First off, welcome to BYC! You'll be quick to discover this is a wonderful support community.

As far as your chickens laying from the perches, don't worry. They just don't have it figured out yet. They will eventually associate the feeling just before the egg is laid to an egg being laid. You'll likely have a stretch where they don't lay them in the boxes. Eventually they get it all figured out. It took my girls a few months. At least they weren't breaking any more. Having the dummy eggs in the boxes is a start.

Best of luck and enjoy your chickens. You'll love the eggs!

 

[israelmeesterkat]

WOW, thanks for the quick replies!! I do have wood shavings as bedding in the coop, but the eggs are falling from quite a distance! These aren't my first chickens. I started with 2 hens and a rooster last Spring and well... I added 7 more hens last fall!! I am thinking about adding a couple more too!! Yes, the eggs are wonderful. My kids won't eat store bought eggs anymore.
I have 3 wooden eggs in my 6 hole nest box. Should I have an egg in each box?
The chickens do have oyster shell in the coop.
I did get one "soft" egg yesterday, but I am thinking it was because of stress. I had moved the 3 guineas to the other side coop the previous day. Maybe the guineas were stressing out the chickens. The guineas made it clear they were not happy about the move. I had to move them because they were picking on a couple of hens. The guineas will be out of the coop for good in the summer...

 

[HEChicken]

When new pullets are starting to lay, it takes them awhile to get the hang of it. I think it is a little like a toddler in potty training - they don't recognize the "feeling" of an egg ready to be laid the first few times. I had a pullet do the poop squat right in front of me but instead out popped a little egg. I swear SHE didn't know she was laying an egg! Her first few eggs were found in random places around the yard but after the first 5-6 eggs she started to recognize the feeling and head to the nest box. Her last 18 eggs have all been laid in the nest box. My second pullet started to lay this past weekend and the first was in the grass, the second on the back deck.....she'll figure it out soon, I'm sure. Good luck!

 

[Andi]

The soft egg may simply be from a new layer. The first couple eggs laid often have a soft sell.

Its good that you removed the guineas if they were harassing the hens.

In my experience I found the chickens didn't choose to eat the oyster shell specifically. They just ignored it. What I ended up having to do was sneaking oyster shell (and I also bake and smash up into tiny pieces their own shells and add that in) into their breakfast treats (left over oatmeal, scrambled eggs, malt-o-meal, etc.). It sticks to it and they are so greedily gobbling it up that they end up eating it along with the good stuff. I'm thinking your soft egg is because its a hen just starting to lay though.

You could put an egg in each box, but I don't think its necessary. They will eventually lay them in the boxes because they feel like a more secure place. The dummy eggs are just to hopefully give them the idea a little quicker.

Just as a side note. All 4 of my girls lay in the same box. Go figure!

 

[DLS]

Make shure the ROOST is way higher than the nest boxes.I use oysrer shell & throw SCRATCH feed(usullay oats) on the shells the seem to pick scratch & get some of both shell & oats that way. Keep us posted
D

 

[israelmeesterkat]

I will mix some shell with the scratch. The roost is composed of 3 "levels" of perches in levels of 24 inch increments. It is set up like a ladder typer roost. I would take the lowest level off, but my polish hen can only make it to the lowest level...

I didn't know there were chicken "snacks" that I could make. What are some recipes?? The chickens would love special snacks!

No eggs so far today...

 

[HEChicken]

To be honest, I would be wary of mixing oyster shell with other feed. I saw a thread one time from someone doing that, who starting getting calcium deposits all over the shells of the eggs because the hens were getting TOO much calcium. I leave the shell out free choice and let them take it when they want it. Sometimes the level won't change for awhile and then all of a sudden, it will go down. I've seen my girls at the shell bowl helping themselves so I know they do take it when they need it and so far all of my egg shells have been perfect - hard but without calcium deposits.

 

[israelmeesterkat]

Ok, the shell is out and they can eat it if they want it. I had noticed that my older chickens (2 hens) have had some bumpy eggs last year. Those bumps are calcium deposits? They were free range and rarely ate their chicken feed.
My 7 hens are separate from my other 2 hens and rooster. I hope to move them all together this fall after everyone knows were the nest boxes are.
The 7 hens are in a coop with a 12 x 24 grass run. The other chickens are in a 16 x 16 stall in my barn and I let them out every day. I don't know how much I will let the other chickens out. I don't want to get overrun with chicken poop around the house. I may just make expand their outdoor run this year with some electric type fencing and not let them out as much.