Success w/ roll-out trays in nesting boxes?

[534EBC]

I'm new to backyard chicken farming- less than 1 year. Have 4 mature egg-laying hens, that were given to us. Bought a small coop with 2 nesting boxes. One of my hens (I think) occasionally breaks/ eats the eggs, and I've tried to break the habit (i.e. oyster shell to harden the shells, plastic decoy eggs, checking for eggs frequently, etc...). I JUST purchased 2 roll-out trays w/ nest pads from Fleming Outdoors that I thought would solve the problem. I've yet to cut/ fit them... as it looks like it won't be successful. I'm so bummed! It looks like: the floor isn't slanted enough, my eggs may be too big to roll into the covered partition (esp. w/ the nest pads in place. Any other folks used this product? Any advice? Don't want to send it back prematurely... YET don't want to cut/ install if it isn't going to work.

 

[aart]

Can you post a pics of your nests and the product?

 

[534EBC]

Here is the product I ordered (+ the "optional" plastic roll-out nest pad):

http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/roll-out-tray-with-flap-for-chickbox.html

Below is my coop (which is awesome for my 4 hens). Currently I have shavings in the 2 nest boxes, which would need to be removed and this nest box tray would need to be modified to fit. The egg eating has worsened the past few weeks~ hence my trying to find a humane solution to at least assist w/ retrieving the majority of the eggs. Any thoughts? Thanks for your interest!

 

[534EBC]

Here is my coop:




AND... here is the product I ordered (Roll-out tray w/ flap + "optional pad"):


http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/roll-out-tray-with-flap-for-chickbox.html


I'd have to modify the tray to fit the coop/ nesting boxes. Don't want to mess w/ it, if it looks like it won't work. The egg-eating has worsened the past week or so, hence my trying to find a humane solution to be able to retrieve the majority of my eggs. Thoughts? Thanks for your interest and help!

 

[534EBC]

Ok, so we did modify the 2 trays to fit our nesting boxes. At first I thought it was a success. Most were laying in the new set-up and the eggs rolled into the covered box preventing breakage. My Plymouth Rock however started laying in a corner of the coop. However, still working on this "idea," as my 4 hens are all stressed out with the change. To be honest, I'm sure they're also bothered by my constant checking and intrusion while nesting. One has even layed "soft-shelled" eggs 2 days in a row! Someone suggested I continue with the old bedding (pine shavings)... and slowly reduce it- as now 2 are laying eggs in the coop instead (+ promptly eating them!). A good idea, which I'll try! I may have moved too fast, with too many changes, too much slope to the roll-away tray in their box, a mat vs. the shavings, etc... Ugh~ hope it resolves and my girls can acclimate. Would also really appreciate being able to retrieve most of the eggs layed (hence why I
bought the roll-away trays in the first place). Patience... I guess?

Let me know if you have any ideas. Love the support of fellow chicken farmers~ as I'm only 9-months into this adventure myself.

 

[aart]

Patience is indeed needed....sometimes it's better to just wait rather than keep changing things every day.
Make a choice then stick with it for a week or so....then maybe make another change if things are not smoothing out.

 

[534EBC]

Thank you~ appreciate your common-sense advice. Yesterday, I left my girls alone during their nesting hours. Had put a few shavings in the boxes (reminiscent of their previous nesting boxes), and things had much improved. 3 out of 4 layed in the proper place! My hen laying soft-shelled eggs the past 2 days had a harder egg too... which makes me think another day or two and her eggs will be back to normal.

 

[HorseChick21]

Sounds like you're getting it sorted out then

 

[534EBC]

Well.... still not exactly the way I'd like it

. My Plymouth Rock won't lay in the new set-up at all. Instead she lays in a corner of the coop and one of the other hens (a RIR) immediately breaks and eats the egg if I don't get to it 1st. Grrr. I think she's too big (or thinks she is) to enter the way we've placed the roll-away tray in the nesting box. We probably need to now enlarge the 2 nesting boxes in order to reverse the roll-away tray to the opposite side. Good thing my husband is handy and willing to work with me, and my 4 girls! I AM retrieving more eggs with the roll-aways... but the set-up still needs to be tweaked. The occasional thin egg shell might be related to the age of the chickens I'm now reading, and not diet related. Hmm... lots to learn on this adventure of backyard chicken farming!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

My girls haven't started laying yet, but I would like to use rollout nests because I won't be able to check for eggs frequently. It looks like you have a very similar coop to mine (or same). The nest box in particular looks identical to mine. Would you mind sharing more details of exactly how you got the roll-out tray set in there (determining angle and securing it)? This could be exactly what I was looking for. I am going to be building another coop this fall (more birds coming), but this would let me keep these three little girls where they are if they start laying before I'm done withe the new digs...

- Ant Farm