Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[frogprincess]

South Mimms (we think it's her) laid an egg on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today, there were two! One in the nesting box and one in the roosting bars. How do we persuade whichever chicken laid in the sleeping quarters to do the business in the nesting box?

 

Also, I feel terrible about collecting them, as Mimms keeps coming back to the nesting box and kicking the hemcore all over the place, like she's looking for the egg, "I'm sure I left it around here somewhere." Still, they are yummy, and I don't want to encourage broodiness.

[patsylabrador]

Hi,

congrats. I just got biggest surprise, went out to clean nest box and there was tiny little bantam egg. I also feel dreadful about taking it, all three made a lot of noise about it going.

How do people clean the eggs, this one is perfectly clean, so doesn't need much.

[frogprincess]

I'm pretty sure I read that you shouldn't wash them, as it destroys the 'bloom' that protects the egg from contamination.

 

South Mimms has been back into the nesting box a couple of times today and she's made a right mess kicking and beaking the hemcore and newspaper all over - I'm sure she's looking for the egg.

[emchook]

I alway wash my eggs as the hens tend to walk all over them and leave their muddy footprints behind. [ and anything else they have stepped in ! ]

I havent noticed any negative side affects by doing this. !

[Cats and Chickens]

Congratulations

I expect she'll get the hang of things in a day or two and start laying in the nesting box. One of mine laid her first three eggs all over the place and then she got the idea.

 

Good luck

[frogprincess]

She's doing them in the nestbox now. South Mimms seems to do hers at/just before dawn, as it's there when we open the door!

Edited December 18, 2009 by Guest

[docsquid]

Congratulations on your egg lift-off.

 

I tend to let them dry indoors and then rub them off, unless they have got the eggs spectacularly muddy, which they can do sometimes.

[frogprincess]

Thank you - we had two lovely eggs today. We're off to my in-laws tomorrow until 23rd and I don't want to leave my chickens!

[rufusrooster]

i may be wrong but i'm sure i read somewhere that its not a good idea to wash the eggs, if mine are dirty i try clean them with a damp tissue rather than under the tap,

i'm sure someone on here can put us right though ?

[frogprincess]

They are all at it now! Three eggs a day, but Mimms still lays hers before first light - is that common?