End of egg cracked

[rsarns]

My BSL started laying 3 days ago, each day she lays a nice brown egg, even though it is still small, but each day she has cracked the end of the egg. Looks almost like it fell on its end and is pushed in, now its not broken all the way to leaking though. Nice hard shell so that is not the problem. I have shavings and grass/hey in the nest boxes. She does move it all around her so that the egg when I check is laying on the wood section of the nest. I am guessing she is dropping the egg onto the wood, hence the cracked end. How do I fix this? SHould I use more shavings/hay, or get straw?

 

[JodyJo]

you can use those rubber feed bowls, then fill it with straw and shavings...it will cushion it when she lays it

 

[pippsqueak]

I had the same issue a couple weeks back. My handy husband built a larger lip on the nesting box so I can fill it with more shavings so when they kick it around it doesn't fall out.

Other ideas that people gave me where to put cardboard down in the bottom below the shavings to cushion them a little. I did that as well and it seemed to work better.

There is also a link to some mats that you can put in there too. Not sure how long they last but with all the scratching they do I assume you can go through them quickly.
That link is : http://www.eggcartons.com/13-x-13-Excelsior-Nesting-Pads/productinfo/EP1313/

So far, since my DH fixed the nesting box its been much better and I've also noticed that the more they get use to laying the less cracked eggs I get.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Schrebergaertner]

Cardboard did the trick for us. Easy to cut a piece the size/shape of the bottom of the nest box. We've only had one crack since then, and that was because it hit another egg on the way out.

 

[aggie9296]

I had the same problem. They were scratching down to the wood. I added some pink shipping cushioning stuff under the shredded newspaper. No more cracked eggs.

 

[10 point]

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cardboard worked great for me and I bet they would love to have some hay in there boxes too.

 

[dbounds10]

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I use those pads and I LOVE THEM!. They are very compact and even with scratching and pulling I have not had to replace them yet. My girls dont sleep or poo in there so it has stayed clean. I have 6 pullets. Here are a couple pics I took today of them in the boxes.

 

[rsarns]

Great ideas! I will bbe putting the cardboard down and putting a bigger lip on the edge of the nest box to hold the shavings in better!