I have a strange problem. I have 2 runs of birds, each with a henhouse, cockerel and several hens in. They are cleaned and fed in the same way. Each cockerel has some hens which are from the same intake, ie each boy has a cream crested legbar, a couple of warrens and sussex and a poland. One cockerel also has a couple of silkies, which the other doesn't have. Each henhouse has roosting perches at a good height, although the house with the silkies has a slightly lower set of perches than the other. The silkie group's house has 6 nest boxes, the other has 2 nest boxes. I do not close off the nest boxes on a night as the construction of the houses makes it a faff.
So the only major difference between the groups is the silkies.
Both groups are laying well. I am getting 6- 8 eggs per day spread across the 2 groups. The problem is that the silkie house leave me eggs which are covered in poo and mud to the point where I am embarrassed to even show them to friends, let alone give them a boxful. The non-silkie group lay beautiful clean eggs.
The only thing I can surmise is that the ickle fluffy cute silkies are fluffing their muddy feathers across the eggs on a regular basis, and snoozing and pooing in the nest boxes. I check the nest boxes several times a day, and even when the eggs are being laid during the day they are dirty, so it is not as though I am leaving them to be slept on by hens that are sleeping in the nest boxes rather than perching.
Am I being unfair on my silkies, or does anyone have any other suggestions? I'd just like my eggs to be clean!