4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Redwing]

For the last week I have found an egg on the roosting bars every day

 

If there is an egg in the nestbox before I leave for work I remove it but the majority of the eggs are laid while I am at work, I can't decide if one hen won't use the nestbox because:

 

a) The new hen fills it with woodchip and poo and it's not a nice place to be (I clean it every day because of this)

 

b) Another hen is hogging it

 

c) There are too many eggs already in the nestbox

 

d) She always wants to lay at the same time as another hen

 

e) There are nasties in the nest box (I have checked all for crawlies but have found none)

 

f) Four hens are too many for one nestbox

 

Any help would be appreciated! Am I worrying unduly?

 

The nextbox is filled with Aubiose and has louse and redmite powders in

[Snowy]

It's hard to know without catching her in the act! Unlikely to be nasties from what you say. Are they soft or thin shelled? They often lay those on the bars as they don't feel like a normal egg to the hen. Could you put an empty biscuit tin or washing up bowl on the bars to give them an extra nest box, see if that helps. Too many eggs doesn't seem to bother them from my experience! The most likely explanation is too many wanting to lay at the same time

[ClaireG]

I get the odd one on the bars sometimes and think it's when the nsting box is already in use