Eggs on the floor

[BGcoop]

So my girls have been laying since about September, and except for the very first couple eggs they have all been using the nest boxes perfectly. The last couple days however, I have found 3 eggs on the floor right in the middle of the coop! It has been from different chickens(different color eggs). The majority of the eggs are still being laid in the boxes. Why would they suddenly be doing this? I have 9 girls and 4 fairly large nest boxes. It is not uncommon for them to share the favorite boxes either leaving other boxes unoccupied. (Yesterday there were 4 chickens in one box, it was like a clown car when they all came running out to see if I had treats.) Have my chickens gone insane? Are they broken, or just too lazy to walk the 3 steps over to the boxes?

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Could be that the box was soiled or that their favorite box was occupied. I get occasional eggs on the floor or sometimes one in the run.

 

[WindingRoad]

They may have taken them out. How far away from the nest box did you find them. I've found a few outside the next box but not far from it. I found 3 eggs in one box one morning. I've taught my hens well. "Girls, please share". LOL. The next morning I found one in each of the 3 boxes I have. My birds are kinda laid back.

 

[BGcoop]

Hmmm, the boxes Were recently cleaned, maybe they don’t like the new straw? Not that they keep any of it in for long anyway. They like to kick it all out before settling down to business.
They were about 4 feet or so from the boxes and around some obstacles, so doubtful that they moved them that far, but not impossible.
It’s just strange, this is very new behavior for them. I think I had 3 eggs not in the boxes total before this week. They were very good about it.

 

[WindingRoad]

Hmmm, the boxes Were recently cleaned, maybe they don’t like the new straw? Not that they keep any of it in for long anyway. They like to kick it all out before settling down to business.
They were about 4 feet or so from the boxes and around some obstacles, so doubtful that they moved them that far, but not impossible.
It’s just strange, this is very new behavior for them. I think I had 3 eggs not in the boxes total before this week. They were very good about it.

Chicken are funny. They are independent. Any reason they are not laying int he boxes.

Mice, lice, mites maybe. Biting them ate night. I think someone here went to get a egg out of a box and it wasn't a chicken sitting in there like she thought.

 

[BGcoop]

And I’d love if they would use the run! I open the coop every day but they “just don’t do the whole snow thing”. (Not that I blame them really) but even throwing straw down to walk on and bribing them with treats barely can convince them to go out. The run itself is not covered but they have a covered section they could go to.

 

[BGcoop]

Chicken are funny. They are independent. Any reason they are not laying int he boxes.

Mice, lice, mites maybe. Biting them ate night. I think someone here went to get a egg out of a box and it wasn't a chicken sitting in there like she thought.

Yikes!
I did check the girls and don’t see any visible external parasites, I dusted them and the roost bars with poultry dust anyway. We had lice a few weeks ago and everything was dusted and cleaned then too.

 

[WindingRoad]

Yikes!
I did check the girls and don’t see any visible external parasites, I dusted them and the roost bars with poultry dust anyway. We had lice a few weeks ago and everything was dusted and cleaned then too.

Just thinking out loud. Did you scold them? Do you praise them when they lay in the correct place? KWIM.

ETA: If anyone could hear me talking to my chickens they'd probably cart me off to the local psych ward. LOL.

 

[BGcoop]

Just thinking out loud. Did you scold them? Do you praise them when they lay in the correct place? KWIM.

Lol too funny! No I don’t talk to my chickens!!....(oh ok yes I do, and yes I might praise them when they lay well and ask them what’s up when they don’t.) but don’t tell DH, he already thinks I’m too crazy about them.

 

[feathermania]

Sometimes we find an egg sitting under the roosting bars. The nesting boxes are at the other end of the coop. It doesn't happen very often so we think that the favorite nesting box is being used and that hen just can't wait for it to be empty!