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

[braden01]

We are v excited as we have our first egg today, however we can't eat it as it was laid on the roosting bars and is broken. Any advice on how to encourage laying in the nest box instead? Thanks for the responses to how we'll know if they're coming into lay BTW - you were all spot on as Ginger started to do the squatting thing a week or two ago.

[Martin B]

Maybe you could put a rubber egg or a golf ball into the nest box, they also appreciate some bedding in the nest area such as straw or aubiose, this helps them make their nest! Don't use hay it is really bad for them.

 

At least she's come into lay, you should have many more eggs to come!

[Laura & CTB]

Oooh congratulations and well done Ginger

 

Clucker shouldnt be too far behind- she wont want to be left out

[Egluntyne]

Congratulations. They'll get the hang of laying eggs in the right place eventually. It being the first time, it probably took her by surprise!

[Guest]

 

Well done that chook!

 

Martin is right - if you want, you can place a golfball in a lovely lined, cosy nest, and they'll soon get the hint!

[braden01]

..a plastic egg from my daughters' cookery set so have put that in the nest. Should I take it out tonight before they go to bed or should I leave it in? They don't really go in Eglu during the day so I don't know if they've even seen it!

[red]

:clap: well done ginger

[Poultry in Motion]

We had a week or so of eggs laid on the bars - they were all soft and ended up broken in the tray. Then the first hard-shelled one appeared in the nesting box and they have both laid there ever since.

 

We didn't use golf balls or fake eggs, they just seemed to figure it out - so I wouldn't worry too much. We also noticed that our Gingernut was sleeping in the nesting box and thought that might disrupt things, but it hasn't really affected anything.