My young cuckoo marans keeps laying her eggs off her roost

[ibreathe4u]

My Cuckoo Marans has recently started laying. Unfortunately she's only laid one in the nest box. The others have all been from her roost in the run. I found another one this morning that the girls had eaten. Is there some way I can break her of this? I know she knows where the nest boxes are, before she started laying, she'd go up there and check it out. I'm not sure if she's afraid to go in if there's an older hen in the other box, but that's my guess. My Speckled Sussex harasses the two young ones all the time. Any ideas?

 

[five is my dog]

put golf balls in the nest. if they ate one they might eat more and then they will always eat the eggs

 

[jesirose]

How many chickens do you have per box?

 

[ibreathe4u]

How many chickens do you have per box?

I have 5 chickens and two nest boxes. I think she's afraid to go in when one of the big girls is in the other box, she's pretty skittish around the 3 older hens. She doesn't sleep in the coop at night, she roosts in the run with her codependent Ameraucana sister. Best I can tell, she has laid 2 off the roost and one in the nest box.

 

[ibreathe4u]

put golf balls in the nest. if they ate one they might eat more and then they will always eat the eggs

I'll try that if I see them eat out of the nest box. I think they're eating the broken ones she lays from her roost in the run area. Grrr! They've all slowed down this summer, I can't afford to lose them.

 

[jesirose]

You might see if you can add more separation between the boxes. Make it more private for her. Definitely put fake or real eggs in the box. Good luck!

 

[ibreathe4u]

So, I decided they needed to start sleeping in the coop instead of on the roost. You'd have thought I was trying to murder them



(Gertie and Hazel her conjoined twin Ameraucana)

I waited for it to get darker then moved them in with the other three. My friend suggested I remove the run roost and force them to roost inside the coop.

 

[ibreathe4u]

Today I found her egg outside of the run eaten. So frustrating. I really don't want all of them locked in the run, one hen is still being too aggressive with my two young ones, but I guess that's my only other option. Ideas?