My chickens are coming of age...what do i need to do to prepare them?

[mfranti]

all the eggs i have gotten are just laying on the floor of the dog house. i gave them a box for a nest but it seems like my girl likes the floor.

is that typical? do they really need a nest? cos it seems like the drop and egg and then go about their day.

thanks

 

[redhen]

i dont know..all i know is mine dont really even go in my boxes..(the brats! i spent about 150 bucks on 6 of these ones i ordered)...

..they better use them!...lol..Wendy

 

[desertlovers]

I thought putting a golf ball in the nest discouraged them from laying. I would like to know for sure because I am new at this also. They are getting close to layin but they were sleeping in the nest box so I closed it off and not sure if I should open it back up and put golf balls in there. I just read on the site that you don't want them sleeping in the nest because of chicken dung on the eggs so I am not sure what to do.

 

[Chicken Love Addiction]

This is my first year raising chickens and I have been so surprised at how "well behaved" my 3 RIRs have been! Right to the day - 16 weeks old -I got my first egg. That was last Sunday. You would have thought I laid that egg! I woke the whole house up yelling and running around with that tiny little thing ("Look what the chickens did! Look what the chickens did!) My brother lives next door and also has his first chickens - I woke them up too and made them check. LOL!

I've gotten six eggs since, all nice and neat and in the nests. I switched to layer feed and put out oyster shells now that at least one of them is laying.

BTW - Brother has 0 eggs so far.

 

[Cara]

Quote:
Grit and oyster shell serve two very different purposes. Grit helps chickens to grind up less digestable foods such as whole grains; oyster shell is a calcium supplement. Some layer feeds have a good enough calcium content to keep hens and eggs healthy, but it is always a good idea to offer oyster shell too. It has nothing to do with whether you ship your eggs or not; brittle shells = sick hens with a calcium deficiency.

 

[redhen]

so..should i put a fake egg in the nest..and put my girls in there..so they can see it?...Wendy

 

[redkan]

Quote:
Me too!!

 

[redhen]

LOL...they will be getting a talking to REAL soon..

..if i dont get any eggs!!..

..Wendy