Pullet laid first egg, now is constantly in nesting box?

[RNjoy17]

So my EE pullet finally laid her first egg yesterday at 18 weeks old! Will post picture below.
Today, she’s near constantly in one of the nesting boxes and I’m trying to figure out if this is normal or if something going on. The coop is 4x8, off the ground and there are 5 nesting that are directly on the side of the coop. I’ve had golf balls in the boxes for the past two weeks to try and encourage interest. I’ve noticed that she gets in one nesting box, messes around with the shaving and golf balls and then moves on to the next one and repeats the process. She’s eating/drinking, but has barely been out in the run - which she’s usually outside from dawn to dusk. Out of the flock, she’s the first to start laying so there’s no other pullets messing with the boxes except her. Anything I should be worried about?


Also - now that she laid her first egg, how often should I expect her to lay? I’ve read EE’s can average 4-5/week. But didn’t know if I should expect that now, or if she may only lay a couple times a week for now

 

[cherrynberry]

So my EE pullefinally laid her first egg yesterday at 18 weeks old! Will post picture below.
Today, she’s near constantly in one of the nesting boxes and I’m trying to figure out if this is normal or if something going on. The coop is 4x8, off the ground and there are 5 nesting that are directly on the side of the coop. I’ve had golf balls in the boxes for the past two weeks to try and encourage interest. I’ve noticed that she gets in one nesting box, messes around with the shaving and golf balls and then moves on to the next one and repeats the process. She’s eating/drinking, but has barely been out in the run - which she’s usually outside from dawn to dusk. Out of the flock, she’s the first to start laying so there’s no other pullets messing with the boxes except her. Anything I should be worried about?


Also - now that she laid her first egg, how often should I expect her to lay? I’ve read EE’s can average 4-5/week. But didn’t know if I should expect that now, or if she may only lay a couple times a week for now

I find that quite normal. One of my EEs ket doing this in the beginning of her egg laying experience.

 

[RNjoy17]

Here’s the egg! I was so pumped! A pretty green with brown speckling

 

[RNjoy17]

I find that quite normal. One of my EEs ket doing this in the beginning of her egg laying experience.

That makes me feel better! I just want to make sure nothings wrong

 

[cherrynberry]

So my EE pullet finally laid her first egg yesterday at 18 weeks old! Will post picture below.
Today, she’s near constantly in one of the nesting boxes and I’m trying to figure out if this is normal or if something going on. The coop is 4x8, off the ground and there are 5 nesting that are directly on the side of the coop. I’ve had golf balls in the boxes for the past two weeks to try and encourage interest. I’ve noticed that she gets in one nesting box, messes around with the shaving and golf balls and then moves on to the next one and repeats the process. She’s eating/drinking, but has barely been out in the run - which she’s usually outside from dawn to dusk. Out of the flock, she’s the first to start laying so there’s no other pullets messing with the boxes except her. Anything I should be worried about?


Also - now that she laid her first egg, how often should I expect her to lay? I’ve read EE’s can average 4-5/week. But didn’t know if I should expect that now, or if she may only lay a couple times a week for now

My EEs started laying daily after about 1 week of sorting things out. During the first week, they layed one egg every two days roughly. Now at one year old, 7 of them lay 5-6 a day in their prime. On average, they lay about 4-6 eggs together.

 

[Oldhenhens]

Here’s the egg! I was so pumped! A pretty green with brown speckling

Congratulations!

 

[Cindosha]

my girls (well, only one of them is laying so far), will not use the nest boxes. The one that is currently laying lays them on the coop floor just underneath the next box. My husband went out there the other day and found all 9 of them crammed underneath the nest boxes. I have tried putting them into the nest boxes at one time or another but they have no interest in going into them.

 

[McChooky]

my girls (well, only one of them is laying so far), will not use the nest boxes. The one that is currently laying lays them on the coop floor just underneath the next box. My husband went out there the other day and found all 9 of them crammed underneath the nest boxes. I have tried putting them into the nest boxes at one time or another but they have no interest in going into them.

Those nesting boxes are adorable but don't offer any privacy. Maybe you can add a curtain in front ?

 

[Cindosha]

Those nesting boxes are adorable but don't offer any privacy. Maybe you can add a curtain in front ?

I guess I will have to so I can get them to lay in the boxes!!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

my girls (well, only one of them is laying so far), will not use the nest boxes. The one that is currently laying lays them on the coop floor just underneath the next box. My husband went out there the other day and found all 9 of them crammed underneath the nest boxes. I have tried putting them into the nest boxes at one time or another but they have no interest in going into them.

It takes time for new layers to figure out where to lay. I'd put some fake eggs in the nest box. Sometimes I've found a wayward egg and put it in the nest box to collect again at the end of the day. Some chickens can take several days, weeks, or months to figure things out. Some like the nest box covers, but when teaching them where to lay, they are naturally attracted to laying where there are already eggs, so they wouldn't see the eggs with a cover. I tried curtains on some of the nest boxes and some without curtains, and my whole flock stopped laying in the boxes with the curtains so every flock is different.