One eyed chicken lays outside the box

[Foghornnmsprisy]

We went to a local farmer and brought home a few young hens. Well somehow we ended up with one that was blind in one eye. We named her Lucky Lucy. I have two boxes for four hens. But Lucy only lays her eggs on the coup floor. Maybe she cant see well enough to make the hop to the boxes. I put hay down where I would see her sit on the floor. Hoping she would choose a clean place to lay her eggs. But of course not. Half of her eggs i find with poo on them. Yesterday I found an egg on the floor of the coup right in the middle of the chicken doorway. I'm thinking of getting another box and just leaving it on the coup floor. Anybody have an idea of how to get her to find a nice place to lay?

 

[chicmom]

I had a hen that did that at first. I would find her eggs in different places...the coop floor, the chicken run.....She did eventually figure it out. Took a while though. Maybe she's a bit low in the pecking order and the girls are getting to the favorite box first. I think it's a good idea to put an extra box in there like you did. Hens like to get into a nice cozy, private area to lay their eggs, so if you can stick that extra box in a corner or somewhere quiet, that will help.

 

[RouttyChicks]

Put golf balls in there and show them to her. Works every time for mine. Hopefully it will for yours too.

 

[aart]

Has she just started laying? Might be she just hasn't figured out where the nest is in time to let that egg go...the fake eggs and just some time to learn may solve the problem.

If she's not a new layer it might be the sight problem getting to the nest and putting one on the floor might be a good solution for you.

Can she get up on the roost to sleep....is there a ramp to that?

A pic of your coop and nests might help us solve the problem as well as more info about her abilities.

 

[Foghornnmsprisy]

Lucy is about six months old just like the other hens. They all have wear and tear on their feathers from my Roo. It's either Lucy or one other hen laying on the ground because my other hen went nuts over the nesting boxes the instant I put them in. As far as I can tell the only disability she has is that glazed over eye. She was very aggressive to my Roo when we first brought them home. They traveled in a dog kennel from the breeder. I left it on the ground with the door open so they could make the transition at their own pace. When my Roo went in to the kennel to say hi Lucy went on attack. But now I think she's his favorite and mine too. She makes little nests in the pine litter on the coup floor. The nesting boxes are about 20" off the floor and are 12"x12". She has no problem getting on the roosts to sleep.

 

[Foghornnmsprisy]

Here's a pic of my nesting boxes with another hens egg.

 

[aart]

Lucy is about six months old just like the other hens. They all have wear and tear on their feathers from my Roo. It's either Lucy or one other hen laying on the ground because my other hen went nuts over the nesting boxes the instant I put them in. As far as I can tell the only disability she has is that glazed over eye. She was very aggressive to my Roo when we first brought them home. They traveled in a dog kennel from the breeder. I left it on the ground with the door open so they could make the transition at their own pace. When my Roo went in to the kennel to say hi Lucy went on attack. But now I think she's his favorite and mine too. She makes little nests in the pine litter on the coup floor. The nesting boxes are about 20" off the floor and are 12"x12". She has no problem getting on the roosts to sleep.

Probably just new layer syndrome then........most eventually figure out to use the nests, but until then - eggs everywhere!

 

[Foghornnmsprisy]

I've been incubating eggs at the house. And stressing over them so much, that I forgot all about the fake eggs for my hens. Can I use a cardboard box for a temporary nesting box until I get her one to put on the floor? I tried a milk crate with hay in it but I think it was to small. No one used it.

 

[Foghornnmsprisy]

I found a storage basket with more room to move. I put some hay and litter in it and bam they layed an egg in it. But even with a box per hen someone is still laying on the coup floor. So in go the fake eggs. Hopefully when the rooster crows all the eggs will be in baskets.