Egg outdoors

pigsypete · « **on:** July 17, 2009, 12:11 »

Hi had my chickens just on 3 weeks now and today I found a egg !

Unfortunately it was outside and not in the house as I would have thought it would be will the chickens learn to lay inside or should I encourage them somehow ?

Secondly the egg had a few small cracks / holes in it could this be the chicken pecking at it ? If so how do I prevent this ?

Many thanks

Pete

Roughlee Handled · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:27 »

Do you have a roof on your run. It is not uncommon for magpies and crows to take eggs from coops. It has happened to me.

Vember · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:28 »

Hi PP

You could try some pot eggs in the nest box, golf balls are a good sub though

The birds will hopefully see them and get the idea

Was the shell quite thin? That could be why, they will move them around using their beak so hopefully it was just a accident

Only other thing is could a crow or magpie been at it ?

SArah

Sparkle · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2009, 15:12 »

Hi there
I put the stone eggs in the nest boxes and it really helped at the beginning to get them laying in the boxes
however all my girls steadfastly turfed out any straw or wood shavings from the nestboxes and prefered them just hard wood as they had come from a hardcore free range unit wih no luxuries!
Then all the eggs seemed to be cracked on one end and then if not cleared up immediately -later one of the peskies would go in and open them up to eat. - I was tearing my hair out!
What I did though in the end was line the nest boxes with a square of carry mat (you know the thin camping mats) and scattered a few wood shavings in and added the stone eggs for luck
That really did the trick as my girls were standing up at the end of laying and the eggs were cracking on the hard floor - now they like the padded surface, the eggs don't crack and the egg eater then doesn't have a go at them - sorted!
I'm sure your girls will get the hang of it soon!
Sparkle

Roughlee Handled · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2009, 15:31 »

Sparkle have you ever thought of one of these

http://www.solwayfeeders.com/productsdetail1.asp?STOCK_CODE=1214
I would love one.

noshed · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2009, 15:53 »

Won't they spot that it's an oven?

Sparkle · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2009, 16:01 »

Excellent idea - bit out of my price range though as have just splashed out on the auto pop hole thingie!

Vember · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2009, 16:29 »

Quote from: noshed on July 17, 2009, 15:53

Won't they spot that it's an oven?

I think it may be too late Nshed

Looks like one of Foxy's Favs has already jumped in Arrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

pigsypete · « **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2009, 10:34 »

Many thanks for the advice put a hard boiled egg in the nestbox and she laid it right next to it today.

Just about to enjoy mt first ever home grown egg

Thankyou all

joyfull · « **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2009, 10:37 »

Enjoy

Foxy · « **Reply #10 on:** July 18, 2009, 12:38 »

Quote from: Vember on July 17, 2009, 16:29

Quote from: noshed on July 17, 2009, 15:53
Won't they spot that it's an oven?

I think it may be too late Nshed

Looks like one of Foxy's Favs has already jumped in Arrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

those favs get everywhere!!!

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2009, 23:00 »

I treated us to one of those, only with 10 nest boxes 2 years ago when I had my little pension payout. Couldn't afford one otherwise! They are good!

Egg outdoors

pigsypete

Egg outdoors

Roughlee Handled

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Vember

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Sparkle

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Roughlee Handled

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noshed

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Sparkle

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Vember

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pigsypete

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joyfull

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Foxy

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GrannieAnnie

Re: Egg outdoors