First eggs!! But not where they should be…

[PollyWallyFrog]

I’m so excited! I got two eggs, first eggs ever and I’m so excited! However they were laid in the run, not the lay box. I’m not sure if that’s normal for a first lay to be randomly laid somewhere or if I should be looking closer at my lay box.

Is it normal for the first eggs to be laid in the run/outside the lay box?

 

[tripletfeb]

Eggs can be laid anywhere, especially for the new layers. Put some fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting boxes and that will help teach the girls where to lay. And congrats on the first eggs, it's always exciting!

 

[PollyWallyFrog]

Eggs can be laid anywhere, especially for the new layers. Put some fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting boxes and that will help teach the girls where to lay. And congrats on the first eggs, it's always exciting!

Oh good, I was worried I’d done something wrong, super amped for my girls!!

 

[Poultry Showman]

No worries my first chickens laid their first egg in our workshop. Somehow...

 

[thistlewick]

Those are *massive* first eggs, holy cow congrats!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is it normal for the first eggs to be laid in the run/outside the lay box?

You are dealing with living animals. It can be hard to describe what "normal" is. And you are dealing with a flock of pullets, no mature hens already laying to show them what to do.

Some pullets seem to know that they are going to start laying. About a week before the first egg they start looking for a good place to lay. They may go into your nests and scratch around or look at other places. With these pullets the first egg is often in your nests but some of these decide that they'd prefer to lay somewhere else. All you can do is to have your nests open so they can check them out. I have a fake egg in the nests to help give them a clue.

But some pullets don't see it coming. They do not prepare at all. They may drop an egg anywhere, just walking around in the coop or run or even laying an egg while on the roosts. These should eventually get their act together but it can take a few days.

As long as they are dropping eggs at random they have not decided on a nest site. If you start to find eggs every day in the same spot then that spot is where they want to lay. You may need to retrain them. Try to keep those random eggs cleaned up. You do not want them to think that is a good place to lay since some like to lay where others are laying.

Congratulations on the eggs and good luck on the rest.