nesting box's

[chrissie07]

We got three POL Rhode Island Reds just before christmas, and two have just started laying. They started with very small eggs which have got larger in the last two weeks. The trouble is they wont lay in the nesting boxs they drag all the straw out of the boxs through the hutch and most of it ends up in the run. So when the egg is layed it is most times on the floor and it sometimes gets broken before i can retrieve it and they step on it and seem to be playing football with it
These are the first chickens we have had and wonder if we are doing something wrong, so can anyone give me some advice.
Also today the egg had a rubbery shell which they broke open and ate the contents, they have oyster shell added to there food so i dont know what else to do

[TPeers]

Couple of questions for you.

What are you using as a nest box and do you have anything on the floor of the roost area?

The first few eggs my hens laid were out in the run, we did get rubbery 'soft-shell' eggs and we always supply oyster shell grit as well as flint grit so be assured this happens to many people/hens and there is nothing to worry about.

In the little ark (see my avatar) I put straw in a black seed tray to 'separate' nest area from mere coop floor. The hens regularly pulled out the straw and threw it around but eventually they took a hint and laid in the tray - even when it had no straw!

I now use dust extraced wood chip of a grade made for avery floors -this seems to have reduced the amount of redmite down to nearly nothing (and I had a bad infestation from one of the second pair of birds we got) I use the chips thinly scatterd in the roost and as a deep bed in the nest box.

One of the new birds bought in January after we had lost two to stroke and unknown causes, still lays the occasional soft shell, usually if it has been stormy or the hens have been disturbed and these are always on the floor of the roost as if they have been scared out of her but even she generally used the nest box for 'planned' eggs

It all boils down to a waiting game - if you want you can get dummy eggs - made from wood, rubber or china - and leave them where you want the girls to lay - eventually they will get the idea.

Terry

[Paul Wagland]

Our girls are just the same - they always lay on the floor of the hen house, rather than in the coop. We've had them for two or three months and no sign of them learning yet! I will try removing the straw from the rest of the hen house, just leaving it in the coop as you suggest Terry.

One of our hens has been laying soft-shelled eggs too - it looks like this is just because she is moulting. It certainly seems to be a common problem, so don't worry too much Chrissie.

[yoanbob]

the soft shell thing shouldnt be a problem, they will do this from time to time when they come into lay at the beggining of the year, nothing to worry about if its just occationally and you are providing a balanced diet.

get some "pot" eggs, (usually made out of plastic these days, and put them where you want them to lay and they get the message pretty quickly. Also make sure the nest box is free of red mite.
the pot eggs allways worked for us even with ducks.
I think you can get them on line for about £1 each.