Chickens taking out the nesting eggs

[homesteadmama8]

Okay..so I made an amateur mistake. When we put our pullets into the coop, we didn’t cover up the nesting box area (at the time we hadn’t finished putting the dividers in so I want sure if it mattered)

One of my hens (16 weeks) laid her first egg, we found it in the run. So, we put dividers in the nesting box area, put fresh shavings, and put in some ceramic eggs. Well, this morning I saw almost all of the eggs (and some shavings) were taken out of the nesting boxes and were laying in the coop instead.

What’s going on and what do I do to encourage them to lay in there?? They free-range so I don’t want to risk eggs all over my property that I can’t find.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Maybe try blocking off the area (Temporarily) so they can’t lay eggs there, and try encouraging them into the nesting box.

 

[3KillerBs]

I find that Point-Of-Lay pullets tend to be very enthusiastic about kicking the bedding and the nest eggs out of the boxes.

Their instincts are telling them that they need to do something that they don't really understand so they make chaos.

Can you raise the lip on the boxes to make kicking our the bedding and the nest eggs harder?

 

[sybonbon]

I solved that same problem by putting fake turf In the box. Also the eggs are unbroken and clean.

 

[Saveria]

Are you sure they are not having a weird thing where they lay them when they are sleeping?

 

[Saveria]

Also, if you are putting shavings in the nesting boxes, you could try hay instead. Maybe the bedding material would make a difference. We put in a large amount of hay in so the eggs are really down there in it, then the presence of the eggs is less noticeable to them when they climb in and sit down.

 

[3KillerBs]

Also, if you are putting shavings in the nesting boxes, you could try hay instead. Maybe the bedding material would make a difference. We put in a large amount of hay in so the eggs are really down there in it, then the presence of the eggs is less noticeable to them when they climb in and sit down.

I find that longer, coarser straw stays in better than shavings or the fine straw.