No eggs STILL, and nest box questions UPDATE

[Agilityscots]

Hi everybody,

I haven't been around much (work, school, dog shows, etc.) but I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer.

First, when, for the love of God, are my girls going to lay eggs?

They're six months old. They have a heat lamp on in the coop 24 hours a day, keeping it at about 50 degrees, so they're happy. Their wattles and combs are big, fat, and deep red. The Doms have been squatting for about a week and a half, and the Wyandotte for about a week. No eggs. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

The nest box is desolate, like an abandoned Western town; I fully expect tumbleweed to blow through there one morning when I open up to check. They've scratched every last bit of pine shavings out of it, twice. Is there any way I can keep the bedding IN the box so it's more enticing and they don't just dump their eggs (whenever they grace us with them) on the floor??

Amy

 

[speckledhen]

Amy! Glad to see you here again!!!! Hey, put straw in the nests, as well as shavings. Sometimes, that works better. It can't be long till they lay-sounds like it'll be soon.

 

[Agilityscots]

Quote:
Thanks Cynthia! I'll try the straw. Maybe I'll sprinkle the rest of the bale around the run and they can play in it. I seriously think these girls are trying to make me CRAZY, holding out on these eggs (and it's working, too). I figured they'd be a little late because of winter, but this is killing me!

Amy

 

[LoneCowboy]

Oh, hang in there. My easter egger squatted for about 3 weeks before she finally laid an egg. My SLW's are 22 weeks old and not laying one started squatting today so I'm sure it's soon. Their combs and waddles have been really red for over a month.

 

[Agilityscots]

Quote:
Oh Cowboy, don't tease me like that! Three weeks of squatting? I don't think I can take it...I just might crack from the anticipation...

Amy

 

[picklespickles]

even if they do lay them on the floor, it'll be okay. you'll just be tickled to get them at this point. don't worry, it doesn't make them "dirty."

i do live in a small western town with tumbleweeds that blow through the chicken yard. you made me laugh. when they are tiny and just sprouting, the chickens will pluck them from the ground and eat them before they get big. if they get big and crunchy and dried out and fly through like on tv, the goats nosh on them. i had one the other day as big as my car. seriously.

 

[Mountain Man Jim]

Wattles and combs are one thing, but when one of our girls is really ready to lay (like that day) OMG the do they make the racket. You would think I had a rooster.

Believe it or not, we use 5 gallon buckets for nesting boxes. One thing we think the girls like to a curtain. So, we have buckets with strips of cloth hang down in front of the entrance. It definitely made one box, the preferred box to lay in.

Jim

 

[picklespickles]

re the buckets..... so it doesn't sound like you have it sitting up? is it on it's side? or do you have a hole cut in the side?

 

[devora]

We had trouble w/ the straw (hay? no, straw. you can tell I don't do horses) until we rigged (ok, DH rigged) a deeper nextbox. Good luck: eggs WILL come!!

 

[Agilityscots]

Quote:
I don't mind if they lay them on the floor but I DO worry they'll get stomped on or pecked at by the other girls...you don't find that to be a problem?

Amy