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

[arowland17]

We got our 1st egg off Nugget yesterday afternoon at about 5.30pm we were so proud it's absolutely tiny but perfect, and was laid right in the middle of our lawn when they were free-ranging round the garden!!

Even OH who has been moaning about the mess / flies etc and saying the chickens may have to go was really happy and I think after that he can't say no to keeping them!

Nothing today so far but can't expect too much, I was so excited we didn't even notice she'd laid it, it was nearly trodden on!

[Couperwife]

Wow, clever girl

 

You can get some "fake" eggs to help them find out where to lay properly

 

Arent the new first eggs so tiny and cute. they get a lot bigger

[arowland17]

I know I was so happy, I'd been faithfully checking the nesting box everyday and there was nothing there then saw it on the lawn! Do they calm down when they start laying, as Nugget (the one that laid the egg) is much quieter and quite happy to sit and relax etc, while Buttercup never stays still, or is that just them being different!

[Couperwife]

They seem to quieten down when they start laying.

 

they also seem easier to pick up too.

 

arent they great...

[Snowy]

Congratulations on the egg!

And yes, they do seem to become more docile once they've started laying! Mine are all happy to chunter around my feet, and will let me stroke them happily without having to pin them down!

[starboyhull]

Congratulations on the egg....We have found that ours have settled down now they are all laying.....they will all sit for a cuddle now

[arowland17]

I'm glad about that, we wanted ours to be tame as at the moment if we put our hand near them for a stroke they either peck it (hard!!) to see if it's food or more often run away!

Particularly Buttercup seems very jumpy and skittish, while Nugget's quite happy to sit on the patio and relax!

They're so sweet together, they wont go round the garden seperately, Buttercup usually leads the way but once Nugget realises she sprints after her! They found an ants nest in the flower bed the other day and once they got bored of eating them they dust-bathed in it for about 40 mins I've never seen such a mess but they loved it, then they wandered round together and finished off puffed up sitting on the patio preening their feathers!