I have 8 laying hens, I have a variety of breeds so I have many colored eggs. I have green eggs, blue eggs, speckled eggs, brown eggs and white eggs. They have been laying well for two years I get an average of 7 eggs everyday. This year they have begun scratching the bedding from their nest boxes and laying eggs on the floor of the hen house. I'm wondering if anyone knows why they are doing that and what I can do about it.
Discussion
Hello, I have enjoyed my hens and coop from Dare 2 Dream since 2017. They are nice egg-layers as well. I am concerned about Goldie, the sex-link, who just sits on her hocks most of the day. She will take a few steps and then sit down and does not go up/down the ramp. She was getting picked on, so now she is separated and is brought in to the house at night. She is skinny despite eating. I am providing TLC and after a month, brought her to the vet. He really couldn't tell what was wrong with her w/o blood work and scans. Her poop tested normal and she does not have lice or mites. I added B complex to her diet a few days ago. Do you have any idea what this could be? Thank you for your knowledge.
their laying boxes are about 13 inches square, 3 feet off the ground with a perch in front . I put about 3-4 inches deep wood shavings in them for bedding.
That's an odd behavior I've not seen. From what I know, they can move their nests of eggs to a more desirable "safe" space, or try to steal eggs from other mamas... but it's odd they all seem to be moving the nest. Have you checked to see if there is any evidence of mice, rats, snakes, red mites, or other nuisances they may be trying to avoid in their old nesting box area?
I'll check at my nearby tractor supply to see if there are any ( chicken safe ) bug killers for mites etc. I see no indication that there are rats/ snakes other pests. The bottom of the coop (hen house) has
1/2 in hardware clothe buried about 12 inches completely surrounding it. I have found a few broken egg shells and the chickens are staying in their house just moved out of the nesting boxes to the floor.
For mites, you can use permethrin dust (Garden and Poultry Dust, permethrin is the active ingredient). If you need to spray the wood for red mites, you can use a permithrin spray, but do not use it directly on the chickens. For natural sprays, you can try Essentria IC3 Insecticide Spray. Mice and rats can chew through wood, though it takes quite a while so check for holes tiny holes in the coop too. Weasels can squeeze through holes as small as 1/4 inch, but normally attack the chickens. Commonly, egg eaters are skunks, rats, mice, snakes; and all but skunks can fit through very very small holes.