Hi all,
We are about at our wits end trying to figure out what is going on with two of the hens. We have been trying to introduce three newbies to the flock by letting them in the coop right before it gets dark, and then putting them back out as it is getting light - so far, the aggression from the other hens is backing down some doing this. And we don't think that's really the problem since we kept the newbies out of the coop for the nite & got the same results. However, the original 8 were going along laying 8 eggs a day in the nests, and now every morning when I go down as the sun is coming up, there is one egg on the floor in the corner of the coop, and one in the middle that is usually cracked - doesn't look like it was pecked - looks like the hen was just walking along and it fell out and broke. The eggs are never there when we check on them a little after dark, so the hens have to be getting down off the roosts before it's light and laying them on the floor! We had read that it was a good idea to put covers over the nest boxes so they would have a little privacy, so we took three off and left one on - was thinking maybe they were getting up in the morning and not wanting to go in the boxes since they couldn't see. Is it possible that we have upset their routine by trying to add the little ones to them and they will eventually settle back down to their routine, or do I need to try to figure out which one is laying eggs that are cracking on the floor and have dinner? I really don't want to give in to the floor layers & put a next box/bucket down there. Thanks.
We are about at our wits end trying to figure out what is going on with two of the hens. We have been trying to introduce three newbies to the flock by letting them in the coop right before it gets dark, and then putting them back out as it is getting light - so far, the aggression from the other hens is backing down some doing this. And we don't think that's really the problem since we kept the newbies out of the coop for the nite & got the same results. However, the original 8 were going along laying 8 eggs a day in the nests, and now every morning when I go down as the sun is coming up, there is one egg on the floor in the corner of the coop, and one in the middle that is usually cracked - doesn't look like it was pecked - looks like the hen was just walking along and it fell out and broke. The eggs are never there when we check on them a little after dark, so the hens have to be getting down off the roosts before it's light and laying them on the floor! We had read that it was a good idea to put covers over the nest boxes so they would have a little privacy, so we took three off and left one on - was thinking maybe they were getting up in the morning and not wanting to go in the boxes since they couldn't see. Is it possible that we have upset their routine by trying to add the little ones to them and they will eventually settle back down to their routine, or do I need to try to figure out which one is laying eggs that are cracking on the floor and have dinner? I really don't want to give in to the floor layers & put a next box/bucket down there. Thanks.
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