Chickens eating eggs

[Col1948]

As for the roll-away boxes I recently got, I have only one hen that uses them.
The others have found a spot in the garden to lay, even when it rains.
This morning I wrecked it so they can't go there, I spent a lot of money on the boxes, I'm a bit disappointed.

I think I'm going to have to modify the wooden next box somehow to incorporate the roll-away system, I've seen a YouTube clip where a guy made some, I'm wondering if I can use the insert from these new boxes in to a wooden box.

 

[aart]

As for the roll-away boxes I recently got, I have only one hen that uses them.
The others have found a spot in the garden to lay, even when it rains.
This morning I wrecked it so they can't go there, I spent a lot of money on the boxes, I'm a bit disappointed.

I think I'm going to have to modify the wooden next box somehow to incorporate the roll-away system, I've seen a YouTube clip where a guy made some, I'm wondering if I can use the insert from these new boxes in to a wooden box.

Instead of adding another different nest, put the bedding back in the roll away.
Start that acclimation process over.
Maybe bedding in just one of the (2 or 3?) rollaway sections.

 

[Col1948]

I anticipated your answer, I did that and all but one went in and laid, the one that didn't kept going in and coming out, she wasn't sure what to do even though the others were in there.
I witnessed her going in later a few times but still no egg, in the end I left her to it, I haven't checked again yet, if she hasn't laid in there I suspect she found another spot in the garden.

 

[aart]

I anticipated your answer, I did that and all but one went in and laid, the one that didn't kept going in and coming out, she wasn't sure what to do even though the others were in there.
I witnessed her going in later a few times but still no egg, in the end I left her to it, I haven't checked again yet, if she hasn't laid in there I suspect she found another spot in the garden.

It'll take time, a couple weeks, and you may need to confine them.

 

[Col1948]

All in for the night, checked but no egg lol.
See what tomorrow brings.

 

[Col1948]

Update: I had 3 go in the nests and laid, not sure where or what the other 1 has done, has she missed a day or laid in the garden somewhere, I did a search but didn't find anything.

Anyway moving on, decided to modify the old wooden next box, I took out the roll-aways from the new metal boxes and put them in the wooden one, I tested them using an egg to see if they work, they seem to so maybe the sight of the old next box might make them fell better and more confident to use.
So see what tomorrow brings lol.

 

[Col1948]

Good news and bad news.

They all laid but for some reason in the same nest. so got 4 eggs, kind of geed news.
Now the bad news, one of the eggs broke as it rolled to the holding part of the nest, the shell was very brittle, all of the insides were in the holding area.
I go to pick up the other three and my finger partly broke through another egg which also had a brittle shell, I managed to save it by cracking it in a dish.
Cleaned out the nest box of the broken egg, geez!

 

[aart]

Cleaned out the nest box of the broken egg, geez!

GAK!
Hope it was easy to completely clean it out....not much smells worse when it turns.

 

[dpenning]

GAK!
Hope it was easy to completely clean it out....not much smells worse when it turns.

OMG! I had a duck egg explode in my hand in the kitchen yesterday. Nastiest thing I have ever experienced! I stripped in the kitchen and had to wash the clothes twice with bleach crystals and Lysol deodorizer to get the stench out of my jammies. Then I’m in the kitchen in just my underwear mopping, wiping down every surface, washing anything that was sitting on a counter. Then went and showered and I swear after washing my hair twice I can still smell the stench!