I am raising my first flock this year, so still on a major learning curve : ) My oldest girl just layed her first egg over the weekend (yay!) and the other three have yet to lay one, they're about a week younger so I'm not too anxious about it yet. My problem/question is that ever since she started laying she has been absolutely tearing the nest box and coop apart! I like my coop to stay pretty clean and orderly because I think it makes the hens happier. The last few days I've come out to newspaper shredded everywhere, pulled out of the upper part of the coop and down the ramp into the run. They've even knocked the roost bars out and down to the lower level. Its like a huge fight went on in there! (no blood or feathers or anything, my first reaction was that something had gotten INTO the coop scaring them but all the ladies are fine, normal, and unmarked) I am hoping she is not struggling THAT MUCH to lay an egg, but I don't understand her behavior. Is she trying to "beef up" the nest by digging it all up and making it her way? Or what suggestions do you guys have? Side note in case its relevant: we switched them to straw in the nest boxes (vs sawdust) the same day she layed her first egg. And even when the henhouse is all torn up like that her egg is still gently resting in the nest box where it should be. So confused.
One of our pullets - Hilda - does the same thing. She was first to lay and knows exactly how she wants her nest box to look and feel. Even when I'm cleaning the nests out she'll be in them kicking the straw in to the coop.
Drat! So you mean to tell me I'm stuck with this messy behavior? My OCD is not gonna like that! hehe jk.
