Odd laying behaviour.

[di]

Hi, sorry, I've not been on this bit for ages...hope you're all well.

Yesterday, when I went to check for eggs, middle of the day, one of my Cream Legbars was sat on a perch. I found it odd but left her to it. Five minutes later I heard a small smash sound...she'd laid an egg, it obviously smashed and she was eating it.

Has this happened to anyone else and is there anything I can do to try to prevent her from doing it...the laying an egg whilst perching, not the eating. (I've read lots about egg eaters) Thanks. x

[Nicos]

Not implying this is the case with you .....mine will lay in unusual places when I've not cleaned them out to their satisfaction!!!!

or.....when they are desperate to lay in one particular nesting box and it's occupied ( even if there is still another box vacant) I think they may just drop out!!!!!!

I've had a couple of lays from perches- but they seem to have been one-offs.
Lets hope yours is a one off !

I suppose if you catch her on the perch again during the day, you could just gently lift her off and pop her in the box?

[di]

Thanks, Nicos. You've not met my Legbars, there'd be no gentle lifting, fiesty little things!

My worry is, I've not been getting many blue eggs, starting to wonder if she's been doing it for a while

[RichmondHens]

Oo - er. Yes she might have been doing it for a while. It may have started by accident, a softie laid which she ate (mine will eat softies but don't fortunately touch normal ones) which has progressed to eating anything. This one may be tricky to cure if she's discovered that they smash if laid from a height, I'm not sure how you can stop this apart from putting her on her own in a broody coop which doesn't have a perch and collecting the egg immediately it has been laid. It might be worth getting a roll away nestbox to stop her eating the others' eggs but it won't prevent her eating her own if she continues to deliberately break them.

[kathyd]

I'm probably being a bit naive here, and I don't know what the inside of a 'normal' chicken coop looks like given that mine's such a rubbish design, but would it be possible to put a layer of something soft underneath the perch to catch the egg and stop it from breaking if she's doing it on purpose? I'm sure there are lots of good reasons why this would be a bad idea, but maybe worth a try if feasible until she learns her tricks don't work no more..??

[Hilary B]

Main snag to an otherwise good idea is that whatever is under the perch gets pooed on, but there may be ways round this. It also depends just how high the perch is....

[Nicos]

Extra thick layer of shavings?

[di]

Crafty little thing, only had time to feed and check on eggs today as we were busy doing other things., so not been able to keep an eye on her.

I'd love to make a new coop or get a different shed. The one they're in is so old and although, touch wood, we had no mite last year, I just know if we do, it will be a right pain. Perhaps I can try to come up with a cunning design to stop her.....Oh Snadge, the builder man, any ideas?

Thanks people. x

[SMS6]

Is the perch removeable? If so take it out during the day perhaps?