New 19 week old pullets - signs of stress/not using roosts?

[Kiki]

I just went into the coop and discovered two eggs in the back corner under the dropping board. One had been broken, the other intact and covered with egg yolk/white. No idea which two laid them but we do have two that have larger comb & waddles that are red in colour.

We three had a jolly laugh at Angie (lady at feed store) who warned that they would be over stressed and may not lay for a year.

 

[Kiki]

JT To clarify: you mean "block off the exit" of the nest box? Guessing you mean block off the area where the first eggs were first laid?

I have a stash of onyx eggs from Peru acquired many years ago, sister and I were just discussing digging them out for the purpose you describe.

Golf balls work too.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

By the way, nice looking coop Mr. Brown...

 

[Ted Brown]

2nd night of moving birds to their roost bar. All simple to move, none moved off once placed. BIL took a picture as we exited coop, not sure if the quick flash would disturb the ladies but hope not.

 

[aart]

not sure if the quick flash would disturb the ladies but hope not.

Nah.
Looks great!

 

[Ted Brown]

...

It's a toughy, especially as we're going into winter. I finally built a 'Brooder Palace' about the same time I built the 'Pseudo Brooder Plate' and started brooding out in the coop a week after hatch to start integration early. But still need a brooder inside and a separate space in coop for integration.

I finally took a moment to look at your Brooder Palace post, quite the evolution, each step very well executed! I need something by early next week so my efforts will be modest, hopefully functional. I began to assemble parts yesterday for the electrical and heat/light bits, will look in the shop to see what other materials I have for an enclosure today then scratch my head a bit.

I did get a bit of carpet yesterday (we did a shopping trip into Ottawa, made 17 different stops on a 200 km round trip that took most of the day) will finish and install the nest box this morning and begin the "training" to entice the ladies to use it.

Only one egg yesterday, this one laid up on the drop board; BIL suggested that whichever hens are laying still have not figured what is going on and just drop wherever they happen to be? Egg yesterday was intact; both that survived are small, well formed, brown, clean smooth shells. Also just realized that I may be facing up to 49 eggs per week, yikes!

It is 7C this morning, steam rising off the lake, sun breaking over the east sky, forecast to hit 24C with sun all day.

I watched the ladies dismount their roost bars a few minutes ago; four flew down with a quick flaps, one slowly walked down the ramp, the other two were up and moving but decided they would remain on the bar for a bit. All seems good...

 

[Ted_Harrell]

My brooder is a similar oval poly Rubbermaid water trough. Right now I just clip a heat lamp on the side but I might look into the pseudo brooder plate though.

 

[aart]

each step very well executed!

Well, the refrigerator box was pretty hack and slash...but it worked OK.

Only one egg yesterday, this one laid up on the drop board; BIL suggested that whichever hens are laying still have not figured what is going on and just drop wherever they happen to be?

BIL is correct, plus no nests yet. Have had new layers lay on boards, either 'intentionally' or dropped from roost height. They'll figure it out.
Might need bedding in the roll out nests at first, hard to put a fake egg on an angled surface...tho I keep thinking about cutting one of those 'ceramic' fake eggs from TSC in half lengthwise.

 

[jthornton]

tho I keep thinking about cutting one of those 'ceramic' fake eggs from TSC in half lengthwise.

They tend to shatter... I hot glued a piece of wood to a couple to stop them from rolling.

JT

 

[aart]

They tend to shatter.

Have you tried it...with what kind of saw?
I was curious about the material, so I filed on one a bit with a needle file,
it was easily 'cut'...the dust didn't burn, so not plastic.