NHchicks
Songster
I'm having an issue with my new chicks becoming egg layers. I have 4 mature hens who lay, and one new chick who is now laying, plus 4 more in the wings who should be starting to lay soon. The problem is, all 5 current layers want to use the same nest box. The younger hen (chick) doesn't stand a chance at competing for the nest, so she has taken to laying in a bush outside our house. One of the older hens has joined her. I just found the nest this morning, yippee, so I found 7 eggs in it. (The new hen is laying tiny blue eggs so far - hopefully they'll get bigger - she's not a bantam)
Anyway, we're putting in pop-out nest boxes to make more room in the coop, and I figure it can be divided into 3 nest boxes. But what is going to happen if they still all want to use the same one? They'll resort to laying in bushes somewhere and I'll end up with fewer eggs. You can't always "hold it" until a hen is done using the nest box, especially if that hen feels like lingering in the nest and making all the other layers miserable.
Anyone have this issue?
Anyway, we're putting in pop-out nest boxes to make more room in the coop, and I figure it can be divided into 3 nest boxes. But what is going to happen if they still all want to use the same one? They'll resort to laying in bushes somewhere and I'll end up with fewer eggs. You can't always "hold it" until a hen is done using the nest box, especially if that hen feels like lingering in the nest and making all the other layers miserable.
Anyone have this issue?