Egg Advice (Belpham avert your eyes....)

[lizzylemon]

.....but I got my first egg. Yay! Unfotunately I've been croocked with flu and found the egg when I went to clean them out. Sadly I think it was layed yesterday as the OH said one of the reds was making a lot of noise and the eggs been eaten.

I know this is a really bad thing to happen so I really need advice. I've put a nesting box in where I found the egg, but I do leave the box in the all the time or take it out each night?

Also, what do I put in the box? I've just put the normal woodshaving chippy stuff in there with some grit. Is that OK or should I use something else

Anything you think I should know but haven't asked.

Thanks loads in advance.
P.S. Good egg for a 1st attempt. Nice hard shell, lovely cafe latte colour and probaby the small shop size.

[Hilary B]

Best place for nestbox, inside. I always used straw, but some reckon wood shavings are better. Leave it there, there might be some mornings they want to lay before you have a chance to put it in, and they may like it less if it isn't a 'fixture'.

[HayleyB]

I put down the nest boxes in the morning and put them away for the night as you may find the start sleeping in them, which you don't want.

I use shavings in the bottom of the box with a layer of straw over. This is so that if the poo then the shavings soak out the moisture away from the straw. Hens like laying in straw as they like to busy themselves making the nest area comfortable. Also they like to throw a piece of straw over their back on leaving the nest (anyone else noticed this bit of ritual?).

To show that the nest box is a nestbox it's a good idea to put a mock egg in - rubber, wood or marble.

The nest box need to be in a place that they find private and if possible not light as then it's more difficult for them to find the eggs to start eating them.

Happy omelettes

[Bephlam]

[di]

Oh poo!!!...hopefully she won't make a habit of it....Congratulations on finally getting an egg anyway!!
We use straw in our nest boxes & change it in the mornings as they tend to poop in their sleep & an egg covered in chicken poo's not nice!
I'd guess for now that the best thing you can do to try & stop her/them eating any more is to make fairly regular checks for eggs & not leave them in there for long!...Good luck!

[lizzylemon]

I know! It was a total surprise - Sorry! I guess they overheard me talking about chicken bricks.

[lizzylemon]

...hopefully she won't make a habit of it....

I checked this morning when I opened the pop hole and there in all it's brown speckled, medium sized glory was another WHOLE egg!! Yay! I've been checking on and off all day but that's it so far (being greedy now I know).

This mornings gain is now happily cooking in the oven as part of a cake: it was the only way to make it go far enough for everyone to have a share honest!!