Floor eggs

[Veryfruity]

We are PYO fruit growers, and for the last 4 years we sell eggs from an egg machine. We keep the flock 18m and have two 500 bird houses, so we have double production in summer to coincide with the fruit.

We have just stocked, and they are starting to lay, but we seem to have plenty of floor eggs along side those laid in the communal nesting box

How do we get the hens to lay in the right place?

 

[spin cycle]

nest boxes need to be in darkest place....that's why they're traditionally under the windows

let more light onto the floor?

darken nest boxes?

dummy eggs in boxes?

apologies if above is 'sucking eggs'

 

[WillYorkshire]

We are PYO fruit growers, and for the last 4 years we sell eggs from an egg machine. We keep the flock 18m and have two 500 bird houses, so we have double production in summer to coincide with the fruit.

We have just stocked, and they are starting to lay, but we seem to have plenty of floor eggs along side those laid in the communal nesting box

How do we get the hens to lay in the right place?

Buy trained pullets from Wot a pullet!

 

[Veryfruity]

es need to be in darkest place....that's why they're traditionally under the windows

let more light onto the floor?

darken nest boxes?

dummy eggs in boxes?

apologies if above is 'sucking eggs'

Thanks.

I’ve got lighting low down to try and lighten the floor, but maybe it’s a bit sombre in the house

 

[yin ewe]

Walk them about every hour from the lights come on in the morning so they don't get peace to lay on the floor.

 

[einstein]

We are PYO fruit growers, and for the last 4 years we sell eggs from an egg machine. We keep the flock 18m and have two 500 bird houses, so we have double production in summer to coincide with the fruit.

We have just stocked, and they are starting to lay, but we seem to have plenty of floor eggs along side those laid in the communal nesting box

How do we get the hens to lay in the right place?

Nothing to do with eggs...but what varieties of strawbs are you growing?

 

[Veryfruity]

Just changed from everbearers over to earlier production because of Drosophile Suzuki.

weve got
clery
dely
manon des fraises and Morano

 

[Danllan]

We are PYO fruit growers, and for the last 4 years we sell eggs from an egg machine. We keep the flock 18m and have two 500 bird houses, so we have double production in summer to coincide with the fruit.

We have just stocked, and they are starting to lay, but we seem to have plenty of floor eggs along side those laid in the communal nesting box

How do we get the hens to lay in the right place?

A friend who had the same problem trialed 'metal mirrors' as an experiment down the centre of one of his houses; the idea being that they increased light and that the hens didn't like the 'company' of the reflections.. It worked pretty well, but wasn't extended because it wasn't cheap and involved a twice-weekly cleaning of the mirrors.

Never been in poultry myself, yet I think the investment could be worth it if the cleaning aspect could be reduced. Maybe raising them by a couple of inches and tilting outward to reduce dust accumulation? But that may also affect the lighting adversely.

Will be interested to read of a successful solution when you find one.

 

[L P]

We are PYO fruit growers, and for the last 4 years we sell eggs from an egg machine. We keep the flock 18m and have two 500 bird houses, so we have double production in summer to coincide with the fruit.

We have just stocked, and they are starting to lay, but we seem to have plenty of floor eggs along side those laid in the communal nesting box

How do we get the hens to lay in the right place?

From the limited experience I've had of layer husbandry you have to make sure birds are up for roost every night when they come in POL, get every one of them off the floor and roosting near boxes each and every night else they will lay anywhere or everywhere but the box