Single hen

[beach chick]

just thinking ahead, as only 1 of our 4 is currently laying. but what happens if they all want to lay at the same time? do they share the nest box, or stand outside with their legs crossed, or just go and lay somewhere else?

[Guest]

I used to have five chooks, and I found it useful to provide an extra space for laying. They had an old pink potty, lined with straw that i put in the run, and if there was an 'over-spill' from the nest box, they used that. However, I've seen days where at least three of them would be squished in together, all laying at the same time!

[beach chick]

thanks shona, I think I'll wait til we reach that happy day! (binned all potties as soon as I could!). did you put the 'other' nest inside someting like a cardboard box? cant imagine wanting to sit out in the open and lay, but that may be an anthropomorphic pov!

[Guest]

We used to pop the potty into the eglu first thing in the morning, and remove it once we had at least 3 eggs.

[Snowy]

Mine are very polite and queue patiently for their turn to sit. If anyone sits for too long though they practice stacking chickens!

[Egluntyne]

Mine seem to take it in turns quite amicably.

[redfrock]

mine cross their legs! but once Bron couldn't wait any longer and laid outside the eglu in the run!

[enzed]

georgina only started laying yesterday, but she was in the nesting box first, and geraldine just shuffled in when she wanted to lay, and they were laying together, head to bum...

 

got 2 lovely still warm eggs though.. will watch and see what happens today.

[Jill]

Mine try to wait but I have an old wendy house with a bit of straw in and sometimes one will lay there and one was obviously caught short and laid on the roosting bars whilst another was in the nest.