Nesting box and laying patterns

[Wen Engle]

Hi, I am new to being a chicken mama. I got 6 Golden Comet and 6 Easter Egger on April 30,2021. the are now 17 weeks old, the golden comet just started laying this week. The first I got eggs was Tuesday when I got home from work I had two eggs of course I have no way of knowing which 2 of the 6 Golden Comet have laid their first eggs. we have gotten two eggs every day since, except yesterday we got 3 but one was broken open and they had not laid till mid afternoon, today only 1 egg so far at 5pm. In addition I have an 8 hole nesting box with golf balls in each one, they will not lay in the nesting box I have it approximately 18 inches off floor, inside the coop so they can go inside and have privacy. They are instead laying the eggs under their roost in the pdz that I have below the roost. Any suggestions on why they lay so late in the day? why only 2 or 3 of the 6 are laying? And why they are not using the nesting box? both my husband and I have to leave for work by no later then 645-7am and are not home till about 430-5pm. So keeping them in the coup till mid morning is not an option.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. We would need photo's of the coop inside. Look on Amazon get a few ceramic style eggs use a marker to put a mark on them

 

[swampfox440]

Welcome to BYC! nice to meet you .

 

[ChickNanny13]

to BYC, glad you joined us. You may want to up date your profile with location; gives us idea as to your climate, predator and supply availability.

A picture of your nest box set up and the roost vs nest box location would be helpful. Also what are you using for bedding. From the sound of it, you have a lengthy nest box 18" off the ground with 8 "holes" for entrance? The layers are laying in the PDZ under the roost. It sounds like the nest box maybe too "private" or the entrance too small?

It's been recommended 1 nest box for 4 hens ... Even then you'll find they all prefer the same box and will wait for vacancy, or even more than one will be in at the same time. I use a huge plastic dog house for a nest box, about 6" of pine shavings and have had 5 Wynadottes laying at the same time. In the beginning I did have 2 nest boxes but they all preferred nesting together.

What did you mean you found a "broken" egg? Was it cracked? Pecked open? Would it be possible someone laid from the roost?

Your layers are "newbies", their egg system is working itself out and in time they'll have a regular routine. It takes about 20 - 24hrs for an egg to form and be laid...
https://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-anatomy/avian-reproductive-female/

As for whose laying ...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...t-butt-check.73309/?page=3#ams-comment-519170

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Pictures of the nest boxes and coop interior will help.
They don't have anyone to show them where to lay. They have to figure it out.
Sometimes new layers get surprised and aren't prepared for laying the egg in a comfy place.
Just because you have pullets of the same breed does not mean they are all going to start laying at the same time.

 

[Kiki]

Hi, I am new to being a chicken mama. I got 6 Golden Comet and 6 Easter Egger on April 30,2021. the are now 17 weeks old, the golden comet just started laying this week. The first I got eggs was Tuesday when I got home from work I had two eggs of course I have no way of knowing which 2 of the 6 Golden Comet have laid their first eggs. we have gotten two eggs every day since, except yesterday we got 3 but one was broken open and they had not laid till mid afternoon, today only 1 egg so far at 5pm. In addition I have an 8 hole nesting box with golf balls in each one, they will not lay in the nesting box I have it approximately 18 inches off floor, inside the coop so they can go inside and have privacy. They are instead laying the eggs under their roost in the pdz that I have below the roost. Any suggestions on why they lay so late in the day? why only 2 or 3 of the 6 are laying? And why they are not using the nesting box? both my husband and I have to leave for work by no later then 645-7am and are not home till about 430-5pm. So keeping them in the coup till mid morning is not an option.

Welcome to BYC!
Chickens don't lay eggs at a certain time of day.
They lay when ever they feel like it.
Mine all lay in the late afternoon...never morning.

 

[cmom]

I had some birds that refused to lay in their nest boxes. I took the nest boxes out and built a community nest box for that coop out of scrap wood. You only need 1 box per 4 or 5 birds. Often time when one bird lays in a certain nest box the others do too. For me the community nest box solved that issue. Good luck...
You can see the golf ball in the middle of the eggs.

 

[Happy hen lover]

to BYC, glad you joined us. You may want to up date your profile with location; gives us idea as to your climate, predator and supply availability.

A picture of your nest box set up and the roost vs nest box location would be helpful. Also what are you using for bedding. From the sound of it, you have a lengthy nest box 18" off the ground with 8 "holes" for entrance? The layers are laying in the PDZ under the roost. It sounds like the nest box maybe too "private" or the entrance too small?

It's been recommended 1 nest box for 4 hens ... Even then you'll find they all prefer the same box and will wait for vacancy, or even more than one will be in at the same time. I use a huge plastic dog house for a nest box, about 6" of pine shavings and have had 5 Wynadottes laying at the same time. In the beginning I did have 2 nest boxes but they all preferred nesting together.

What did you mean you found a "broken" egg? Was it cracked? Pecked open? Would it be possible someone laid from the roost?

Your layers are "newbies", their egg system is working itself out and in time they'll have a regular routine. It takes about 20 - 24hrs for an egg to form and be laid...
https://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-anatomy/avian-reproductive-female/

As for whose laying ...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...t-butt-check.73309/?page=3#ams-comment-519170

I agree with chick Nanny . They are just learning about laying, so be patient with them. I have one year old that still never lays till 1 in afternoon! . It takes a while for some to lay even if their flock mates, and their eggs are really weird at first.
They may not like bedding in boxes. I tried straw (someone's suggestion ) and they hated it. I now use pine shavings about 3 inches thick.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! It's very nice to meet you!

 

[Pork Pie]

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Pork Pie