Night time Laying and just missing the box

[PNWislandGirl]

So some of my girls just sit in the nesting box and back end facing the entrance and lay right outside the box and break eggs. Also someone is laying at night and not using the nesting box and random eggs at the bottom of the coop or grate. They can nest inside the coop or on a perch with a grate underneath to keep predators from coming from the bottom. Which they prefer for some reason to sleep on the grate and outside instead of the ample room in the coop.

Anyone else have this problem? I suspect we need bigger nesting boxes but the night time thing I can only imagine is from being younger birds?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How big are your nestboxes?

How long have your hens been laying? Newer layers are more prone to dropping eggs in the middle of the night instead of holding them until dawn. Since it takes roughly 26 hours to make an egg it should stop after a few days as the eggs will come later and later.

 

[PNWislandGirl]

Our nesting boxes came attached to the coop not sure how big 12"x12" the Girls have been laying since august this year

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

12 square is the recommended size for nestboxes. They are fairly new layers than. Sometimes it some a few months to get it all straight and figured out. Do you keep fake eggs in your boxes? Could help center a hen in the box to have a few eggs under her.

 

[aart]

Post pics of nests?