Pullet removing eggs from nesting boxes

[Wizzazza]

We added a few ready to lay pullets of the sane age as our other girls recently. One of the new girls has been laying for about 9 days and suddenly the last two days her egg is in the brooding box. The golf balls hqve been randomly moved out but we thought it was curious investigators. Today bought a ceramic egg to see if the golf balls were just too roll-y. Within minutes of putting the fake egg in one of the nesting boxes, tucked down to the floor in an indentation in the straw, came back to the coop and it had been moved. Our queen came visiting as I stared in the nesting box, watched me place it in the box, pecked at it a bit and promptly began rolling it up and out of the nesting box with her beak. I moved it to the next box and she promptly repeated the rolling. I did not try the box the other girl is using. We played this game a few times, including different positions in the boxes; at one point she went back in the run. I went away for a few minutes, came back and the fake was even further away from the nesting box. She is clearly about to lay as she is going in and out of the nesting box and previously never has had any interst in the boxes. (Also showing other signs.)
Will she stop this egg removing behavior once she starts laying??
If not, how do you stop it? I don't want poopy eggs.
Also on the if not, what do I do so she doesn't destroy other eggs if we find a way to add extra height to the front of the box to make it so she can't roll eggs into the brooder where it is poopy as they roost over that area?
I can't find this topic anywhere so sure appreciate thoughts and experiences!

 

[chickens really]

I would raise the height of the nest box fronts..Also remove the fake eggs...I have never used them and my pullets all used the nest boxes...When they are first layers they do strange things...

 

[heatherlaw]

Most likely she knows the egg isn't real and doesn't like it in her box. My mom put wooden eggs in her boxes to train the girls where to lay and every day for weeks she would find a clutch of real eggs in the box and the fake egg kicked out on the floor. Unless she starts doing that with real eggs i wouldnt worry. Sometimes they are smarter than we give them credit for (with the exception of silkies, who will sit on literaly anything you put in the box such as rocks, golf ball, drawer knobs, random items foubd in the yard etc. Ask me how i know

)

 

[aart]

I would raise the height of the nest box fronts.........When they are first layers they do strange things...

x2

 

[Wizzazza]

Thanks for your replies.
@heatherlaw, "Unless she starts doing that with real eggs i wouldnt worry."….......That's the main concern. She is removing eggs every day now.
We are going to try to figure out a way to raise the height of the nest box fronts without things getting too tight to even get in them. Silly chickens. :cd

 

[heatherlaw]

I guess it didnt pay enough attention when i read your post. I didnt realize she was already doing it with real eggs. They can do some funny things sometimes. Hopefuly she doesnt figure out how to carry eggs. Ive watched my silkie tuck an agg under her wing and carry it to another nest box to add to her stash. I never would have thought a chicken could carry something.

 

[Wizzazza]

Oh, heatherlaw, I don't think I wanted to know that!!

The kids have already proposed she will enlist the help of our 2nd in command and together do a chopstick manuever with their beaks in order to lift eggs over any addition we put in place to raise the front of the nesting boxes.
I'd much prefer she was moving eggs to a different box than in the brooder. Right now nothing is allowed to be in any of the nesting boxes. While checking on the girls yesterday she directed me to join her at the boxes and we discussed the boxes and I cleared feathers out of the one she seemed to be favoring the most, hoping that would serve some role that a rooster would for her. Worried what she will do to eggs she can't remove once we have time to raise the front of the nesting boxes. I sure hope she gets over it once that first egg finally works its way out of her!

 

[heatherlaw]

OCD perhaps? Maybe you should try therapy

 

[Wizzazza]