WOW saw my hen lay two eggs in a row

[onthespot]

I also heard that if you hang curtains on the front of the nest box it is dark in there and blocks the birds' view of the eggs and you stand a chance of getting the egg before they do.

 

[kinnip]

It sounds like you've got it nailed. Good research is the key to good husbandry. The only thing I have to contribute is to that you make sure you buy an item labeled "oyster shell" , not "grit". When you're satisfied that the deficiency has been tackled, you can add some of the high protein feed. I feed my ladies a mix of Flock Raiser and Layena.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
I go twice a day to pick eggs .......... around noon and back late afternoon around 5:ish .


My nesting boxes are all side by side on the floor with hay inside . Alot of times I find as many as 7 or 8 eggs in same nesting box . Never once did any hens break or eat any of the eggs . 8 nesting boxes in large coop and 4 boxes in other . 2 golfballs in each nest .

Main door remains closed at all times , pop door is NEVER closed . they have full access 24/7 to the coop or the runs .

 

[chickenannie]

You can also gather the eggs earlier in the day. Someone also made a video of how you can build a soft bowl under the nest (with a funnel) so the eggs roll out of the nest right away.

But it is a problem. I bought one or two egg-eaters at an auction. Made me mad cuz I realized why they were sold. but after several months, they stopped eating eggs and now havent' for over a year so i think they're cured. I believe they must have been protein and calcium deficient from where they came. Plus I free-range them so they had a lot of stuff to keep busy with out in the open instead of eating eggs from boredom. Anyways, i'm not exactly sure why but they appear to be permanently cured.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Okay I am new to chickens and this might be off the real subject here,...but will a hen lay two eggs a day??? She said her hen laid two eggs,..just wondering.

 

[cajunlizz]

thats what she is saying . I heard it before ( not often ) just never seen it . I really dont see how that is possible tho

 

[Mesa]

I'd make the floor of my nesting box sit at an angle so the eggs gently roll out and into a safe collecting box. Problem solved... at least I think it would be??

 

[SoupMaker]

As to the red around your hen's vent: According to this website, that's 100% normal. http://www.afn.org/~poultry/egghen.htm

 

[Eliza]

Latest Update. I put in a nest box, and then because that's all I had, I put pads of hay under the tray/ledge and laid in the golf balls. The nest box caused quite a sensation amongst the girls - they were lining up to get in and set. Got 1 egg this am, and 3 this afternoon. The hens sure enjoyed the hay and the box. I also got Layer pellets and Oyster shell and put them out. So, tonight, the girls were in their element! There was dust bathing in the shavings and much hay arranging. I'm under no illusions that the egg eating problem has ended - and I am intreaged with the sloping nest box idea. We'll see what happens!

And yes - that hen laid one egg after another right in front of me not 2 feet away. I'd bet it's not normal - but then what can I say - she laid'em and the girls ate'em!

Thanks for all the help!

 

[cmom]

Quote:
Longest lasting grit is Granite, and lasts well. All other rock and stone is so much softer, that it wears down fast and that is why granite grit is best choice of grit. It works really well for best utilization of feeds. My chickens are given free choice and they choose it with pleasure,
Oyster shells can act as grit to an extent, but young birds who are not laying should not have oyster shell. Grit that is usually granite grit does the job much better than oyster shell, which really isn't that hard. Grit grinds the Oyster Shell. While the gizzard is an amazingly strong organ, the Grit is a part of its function. Also, if they free range they will eat dirt for grit, but I always have a dish of granite grit and a dish of oyster shells near their feed.
I also put golf balls in the nest boxes.