Nesting boxes

[cavemanrich]

I keep reading different things about how many nest boxes.
I have 3 chickens, I have a small coop, the nest box is split in to two, but as some of you know they seem to prefer just one.
I have 2 hens laying at the moment, nothing yet from the other one, the thing is the 2 that are laying seem to choose roughly the same time to lay.
One goes in then a few minutes later the other one is waiting by the door and sometimes tries to go next to the one already in, I have had a couple of broken eggs when this happens, I think the jostling has caused it.
I have ordered a small shed I'm going to convert to a coop so hopefully it will cure the problem.
Col.

Take out the divider and make it a communal, AKA double wide, and the egg breaking should be minimized. When second hen enters there will be enough room to set besides the current occupant.

 

[Col1948]

Damn! I watched on of my hens go in the nest this morning, I knew she was going to lay as it was roughly her time to go in.
So I timed how long she was in, it was 47 mins before she came out, when I lifted the lid of the nest box another broken egg, plus I noticed the shell wasn't exactly soft but not very hard, I removed the straw with the remaining of the egg.
Soon be time for hen number 2 to go in, fingers crossed lol.
Not had anything from hen number 3 yet.

 

[aart]

Damn! I watched on of my hens go in the nest this morning, I knew she was going to lay as it was roughly her time to go in.
So I timed how long she was in, it was 47 mins before she came out, when I lifted the lid of the nest box another broken egg, plus I noticed the shell wasn't exactly soft but not very hard, I removed the straw with the remaining of the egg.
Soon be time for hen number 2 to go in, fingers crossed lol.
Not had anything from hen number 3 yet.

Are these newly laying pullets?
Thin or soft shelled eggs are not uncommon when they first start laying,
and they are easily broken by being stepped on by the bird.
What all and how exactly are you feeding?

Oh, and, the time they lay can move ahead by about an hour each day,
until they take a day off. Think that is explained in this excellent video:

 

[Col1948]

Hi, Yes they are young hens, I bought them last week, they were advertised as 'Point of Lay' I have a Black Rock, Light Sussex and a Cuckoo Maran. The Light sussex isn't laying yet but the other two are I'm get one egg of each of them every day so far.
Yesterday the eggs were hard shell on both of them, but today the Black Rock laid the soft-ish shell egg, they have all been getting the layers pellets plus they have crushed Oyster and grit.
Like you say it probably is them being new to laying plus a new environment and being young, I hope lol.

Col.