Nesting Box Tips and Tricks- Preventing Dirty or Eaten Eggs

[@grantreese2507]

I learned more in the first 4 minutes of this video than 3 other videos combined (just an estimate). This man is an excellent communicator. Very good video. Thank you from east Texas. :)

[@revk8611]

Excellent video. I find that golf balls in the nesting boxes helped with the new chickens, instead of ceramic eggs. Once they are used to the routine, I can go play a quick 9

[@muttn.c.8662]

Just wanted to say Thank you for a Very well done video and for taking your time to make it for us out here. I will never understand why anyone would thumbs down someone who is, as I stated prior , taking their time to try to help others. You and yours take care and God bless. Thumbs Up here.

[@dixsigns1717]

I totally agree.

[@servihomestead4324]

I've never heard of or thought about having the nest boxes lower than the roosts! We will be sure to raise our chicken roost bars. Thanks!

[@bestgreenhomestead]

Great video. I find I could have 100 nest boxes for 50 chickens and they will still always lay in the same box. 🤣

[@PLJS2018]

Need more hens🎉

[@aprilwilson1009]

a great video! Thanks for posting. Another helpful hint. Make sure your hens have access to free choise grit. If they don't get enough rocks in their gizzard they can become malnourished and will start eating eggs. (Learned from experience!)

[@rogerbeaird5742]

Great video brother 👍🇺🇸⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

[@veefriend4201]

Great information for me. I'm getting a half dozen chickens within the next 2 days and just finishing up my coop. Thanks so much.

[@cassityart7001]

Great info! I built a nest box shelf unit just like this with 24 nest boxes. I had a variety of laying hens. All large breed. The heavier girls liked the lower boxes and the flightier girls liked the high boxes. We used pine shavings instead of straw and added a 4” strip of wood on the outside of the nest box row to hold the nest material in. That helps keep the nest cushion under the hen where the egg is laid. Less chance of broken eggs falling onto the hard wood surface. The roost area is the most important with enough room for all the girls and roosters. And they like to sleep near their good friends. ❤️🐓👍

[@marilyngodfrey868]

Thank you for your calm voice and very good information. We have had chickens most of our 56 years of marriage, and today we will move our three oldest hens in with our pullets who are now one year old. We are in Texas, keep our birds on cattle panel hoops with tarps over 2/3 of each pen. My husband raises Nankin Bantams. He recently purchased a small incubator and we filled it twice. So he has two batches of babies, thus the need for more space for them, and three old hens in one big pen is silly. Plus he has two broody little hens and one set of eggs should hatch later this week. So today we must move the little roosters, as I'm afraid they could kill the hatching babies. I do have one tip for those who have snakes like we do. Buy bird netting that is supposed to keep the birds from pecking and eating your fruit. It is avaliable at Walmart, Tractor Supply as well as on line. I purchase the 14' x14' piece and cut it into strips about 4'-5' wide by the 14' length. Then I put it around the bottom of our chicken pens, (as well as my raised garden beds.) Using zip ties to keep it in place. Last summer we had six copperheads and one smaller chicken snake meet their demise in the netting. Already this year two copperhead have been caught! My grand daughter also told me that copperheads smell like dog poop. I did not know that! She said that every time my son runs over one on the kaliche road, he gets out to be sure it is dead. If he is wearing his boots, he will step on its head...but when he gets back in the vehicle...the smell is just like he stepped in dog poop. Good to know...Already saved me two times.

[@mirthenemrys]

A good roosting idea, for lower amounts of chickens, is an old wooden ladder. Like a step ladder with 4-6 steps on it or something, Nothing to build then :) You will get those chicks that like lower rungs, and some that wanna be on top.

[@lindabarnes1585]

When my hens start laying "poopy" eggs, I know there is a good chance that they may have parasites, so I used to feed them some food grade diatomaceous earth for a few days and that would solve the problem. Now I routinely mix a little diatomaceous earth in their feed and don't get any dirty eggs. There is a huge difference between food grade and industrial grade diatomaceous earth so always double check that you are purchasing the correct one.

[@3nomadswithwhiskers393]

SO WHICH IS BETTER FOOD GRADE OR INDUSTRIAL, SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS MY KEY IS STUCK

[@cindymobley8926]

@@3nomadswithwhiskers393 food grade

[@cassietorgerson8533]

Wow, awesome tip. How often? Thanks! Just getting started with some chickens here...

[@lavernabouzspain]

Thanks for the chicken nesting box suggestions!

[@JustinsDreamArt]

Thanks! Getting my first chickens today!!!

[@melissahale7806]

I loved your video! The verse at the end was great too!!!

[@SeanFischer1]

We are just getting started. We purchased our chicks from Tractor Supply about a week ago

[@hikaholicmama3794]

Me to

[@kylebarfield2603]

One of the most informative videos I’ve seen, especially in this little bit of time. Thanks!

[@chevyjules2925]

What a sweet guy, nice explanations and informative to the point video.

[@robburke8867]

I most definitely appreciate all the information. Thanks!

[@daisy13joyce]

Another trick I used to use to stop egg eating, was to place a half egg shell filled with mustard into the box, and that always worked too.

[@katiebea9258]

That's a hoot; mustard vs yolk ... Would love to see that reaction on a video, but some whackamole would be offended and fuss at us, right? Just got six aquila chicks and crushing YT vids for knowledge... TYVM for your input ...

[@Wadaryu1000]

Very helpful mate, thank you from rural Australia.

[@3520506]

Well done! I'm new at this. This video really helped me out.

[@theusconstitution1776]

We don’t mix the calcium in with the chickens food we just put a bowl of the calcium chips out next to the food in their hands know when they need it because they’ll go over and eat it themselves you don’t have to be concerned about feeding the chickens how my going to feed each chicken so many ounces of this over a months time or don’t worry about any of that just put it out in a bowl and the chickens are really much smarter than most humans!❤️🇺🇸

[@dianewarfield8067]

A golf ball works well too! :D If I find broken, cracked eggs, I give them to my dogs. I give my chickens an afternoon snack from TS organic mixes or the Golden Glaze mix at Rural King -- I like the Golden Glaze because it DOES have oyster shell bits in the mix.

[@paladin252]

I was having problems with my girls wanting to nest in the boxes when they were first introduced because the older hens and rooster wouldn’t let them on the top roost. I added a hinged door on the nesting boxes and would close it in the evening after they had laid their eggs and then opened it when. I opened their coop in the morning. After a couple of weeks they got in the habit of sleeping on the lower roosts and I now just keep the hinged door open until I have that problem again with New chickens being introduced.

[@karinvancleave3678]

What kind of chicken lays those beautiful blue and other color eggs. I just love that. Totally enjoyed your tips, and thank you for teaching how to train a rooster not to attack me It has worked for us.

[@allanhough9687]

I noticed that you are using the same or similar litter on the floor as you are using in the nest boxes. We raised chickens for about 30 + yrs. The best practice for us was to not use the same material for both. Wood chips seemed to be the best for the floor as it is easy to turn for the chickens and composts readily. Straw worked best for the nests because it is easier to keep clean on a daily or weekly basis. It is confusing to the birds to use the same material in the nests as the floor. Since our operation was somewhat commercial, 200 layers, we kept them somewhat contained to avoid the raccoon, opossums, minks and coyotes. Let alone all the stray dogs people let run loose in the town we lived next to. We used a 5 to 1 ratio for the nest boxes and that seemed to work well. We provided cherry stone for grit in a creep feeder and oyster shell for calcium supplement. Since we lived next to the grain elevator I didn't have to keep great quantities of bedding material on hand. We also had horses, so we had plenty of wood chips on hand. That seems to work best for their bedding also. Good luck with your operation. I enjoyed your video and thought informative. .

[@margaretnugent9872]

Thanks. I have 4 chickens the 🦊 got me down from 8. Thinking about getting some new ones. I am only getting 1egg in the nesting box and often find 1under a really hard to reach bush. I live in Ireland .

[@jacobspranger1267]

I just got my hands on some Icelandic chicks. Excited to swap out my old mixed flock with the new flock. Fortunately there is a private seller 6 hrs from our area who strictly deals with Icelandic landrace chickens and sheep only. Beautiful animals. Greetings from United States!

[@backtobasicstipswithtomrib19]

I took a piece of scrap 2x2 and carved wooden eggs ...it works and I don't have to leave any eggs...just a thought....

[@dargno]

I always leave a golf ball in my nest box. Don't have to bother with picking up old eggs or marking new ones.

[@argentumman7116]

That's exactly what I do. It also prevents bad habit of egg eaters.

[@camillem823]

Yes, and the chickens that try to peck eggs won’t enjoy pecking the golf balls or porcelain eggs! That is the purpose of them.

[@pamking-qp9dk]

Thank you for your information. Very helpful.

[@billchambers2585]

Good video thanks for the info. I was told one of the purposes of the ceramic eggs is to train young inquisitive chickens, that peck at everything, if they peck at an egg it only causes headaches. I just have one set that I put out in a box a week or two before they start laying. After they investigate them and peck at them they lose interest in pecking at an egg. So far I have not had a problem with my chicken trying to eat or peck their eggs.... knock on wood!

[@bobhuddleston8883]

Thank you sir! Very helpful tips keep making videos.

[@joanbrunswick813]

Thank you just getting started.

[@karenhernke1981]

Very informative video!! Loved it! Thanks for sharing!😊

[@katiatomsk]

I've noticed when young hens are about to start laying they will often get into the laying boxes and poop. We have to be extra careful during those times to watch the boxes and change the shavings.

[@catherinegrace2366]

Interesting. I have 25 new hens that are just now coming in to laying. There is relief in sight that I won’t have as big of a mess? 😂

[@andrewrunnion1374]

I have been feeding a mix of egg layer feed and keep my egg shell to feed the chickens and I have had almost no problem with the thin eggs. I have done this since I was young and now at 53 it still works.I have never feed any oyster shells put I hear from other's that do.

[@joycemastaw910]

Great advice. I see you're using the egg basket.

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Lol, yup, found it!

[@paparomesoutdoors711]

Damn good video and helpful appreciate it. Do you have any videos for those auto feeders ?

[@suburbanplantation1770]

I use the ceramic eggs to discourage egg eating. The chicken will peck the egg and find no luck and stops eating eggs

[@jameslaw7939]

I had problems with chickens sleeping in nesting box and it was because their perch What is lower than the nesting box, thanks for the knowledge

[@greenhulk7573]

When i first started with my first chickens, I used golf balls to encourage them to lay in the nest box.

[@connordanielson3048]

My chickens were laying eggs all over and I put golf balls in the nesting boxes and they started laying eggs in the boxes again

[@SSLFamilyDad]

That is also a great way to go, they always will nest where there are eggs( or golf balls, lol)

[@bridgetdonovan1680]

Do you rinse the egg off before you crack them to eat? Not sure if at anytime you should rinse them to wash off any bacteria.

[@connordanielson3048]

@@bridgetdonovan1680 we don't clean the eggs off till we eat them because of the good bacteria on them that keeps them good longer

[@bridgetdonovan1680]

Connor Danielson yes ok. We should be getting eggs any time now. I know not to wash them so you can keep them out and not refrigerate but just wanted to make sure before you crack and eat them you are supposed to rinse them off. Thank you

[@connordanielson3048]

@@bridgetdonovan1680 your welcome me and my family love having farm fresh eggs.

[@mylearninggardenwithamybon6079]

This was very helpful thank you!

[@GasSoakedRag]

Good video, I recently had a hen start eating eggs and nothing, i mean nothing would remedy it. She's in the freezer now.

[@ahmedmahmoud8522]

Thanks alot for sharing your experience . I have some questions please , 1- You said you've put real eggs in the nesting boxes , aren't chickens when they lay eggs sit on it and don't lay again until chicks come out ? They don't know their eggs are fertilized or not , aren't they ? So , will they do that with the egg you put in the nest ? 2 - I have a rooster with my chickens , but they are all chicks right now , is there a certain age for mating which I should keep the rooster away from encountering the chickens before it ? as they complete their growing ?? Thanks

[@harringtondave10]

Very informative video. Do you have any information on taking egg shells and crushing them to a powder and adding that to the feed for good thick egg shells?

[@MsLookinup]

I do that. I keep the shells in an ice cream bucket in my kitchen closet. I don't rinse them first and it's amazing that I have never had any odor with this. When my bucket is full , I lay the shells out on a large pan with sides(a jelly roll pan works great) and bake them at 225 for an hour or so to kill any germs. I then run them through my food processor, but not too finely or I have a bunch of dust floating around. I sprinkle about a heaped Tablespoon every so often on the the chickens food. My son asked me to back off on the calcium though cuz the shells, in his opinion, where too hard.

[@mcchris5524]

With my chicken I actually cover and leave a tiny entry for my laying spot. I keep the area darker coz I want then to hatch. They sit on eggs 10 plus eggs, randomly.

[@katlescraftpatch9605]

I crush egg shells and feed those to my chooks. Nice strong shells!

[@barbararickman8543]

I do the same. Don't have to buy oyster shells. Cuts down on cost. Just keep the chicken egg shells, roast them at 300 degrees for 35 minutes, cool and crush. Add them to the feed. Nice shells.

[@athenac2696]

I won't feed egg to chickens. They could get to be cannibals#

[@andrewcausey3297]

thanks for the tip!!

[@poppys3728]

@@athenac2696 chickens are cannibals. you dont have to teach them that. If one dies in the pen, the rest will be all over it eating before you can say jack sprat.

[@PRDreams]

@@poppys3728 chickens are tiny carnivore dinosaurs that we have forced to become herbivores. They see blood and go crazy for meat. It's their nature, but it's sort of disturbing to see. One of my chicks was killed by the others because he bled after a peck on a fight. It was pandemonium. 😟

[@lindamann3970]

We got 4 rhode island reds the in 3 weeks we had collected almost a doz..they were newly laying.. Then we went to the feed store and they that day had white chickens for a good price ready to lay so we got 2 and brought them home..get them separate for a day..they were about the same size so put together and they werent a problem.. Now however its been two weeks.. We are getting white eggs. But the brown eggs have stopped! We got laying mash, the corn treats feed and they had been eating the pellets. Any ideas? We are changing the type of nesting box soon .

[@jerkyturkey007]

Great information, I've had chickens for years and just by accident I've been doing almost everything you're saying here, although I'm going to raise some of the roosts and lower some of the nests. Also I make my nests put of old milk crates and I tip them 1.5 inches from back to front, them catch the eggs with a chicken wire trough to catch them and keep em away from the hen peckers. Some higher ranking hens like to break the lower ranking hens eggs.

[@katiatomsk]

Our coop has a dirt floor so the boxes get really nasty during heavy rains. Just a fact of life and we just change out the shavings daily.

[@alexamunoz7943]

If you add a good layer of sand, it will help the water drain away :)

[@BrendaBodwin]

Do you ever have a problem with the feed clumping in your auto-feeders with the high Michigan humidity? Also, do you give your chickens diatanacious earth for worms and mites?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Generally I provide a Sandy place for them to bath in which helps with mites, I have not done and diatamatious earth for them but may this spring. No issues with clumping, they eat through it pretty quick

[@BrendaBodwin]

SSLFamilyDad I've heard that diatanacious earth really works, but, I haven't tried it. Please let us know what you think if you do try it. Thanks for the feeder info. 😁

[@bigfoothunter9968]

I'm in Ravenna Mi .. 😉 glad to see Michiganders here lol

[@jerrycardwell9322]

Thanks great info!

[@davesjourney8406]

Have you ever had issues with mites? If so, how do you handle them?

[@granmabern5283]

Dave's Journey dust the corners of coop and nesting boxes with diatomaceous earth. You can put some in their sandbox with a cup or two of cool wood ash, too. It’s basically flea powder

[@solidwoods6999]

Nice basket Dad , Airborne . MSG sent to you

[@ronaldfousek1079]

Very Nice, Thanks.

[@dunestaniszewski2300]

I have a problem. My coop is inside a very large run... for some reason my chickens hate my nesting boxes? Would you know why?

[@user-xb1ht4py2v]

i dont think my birds are gettig ito my top row of nest boxes, they use the lower row. ( i have "little" giant plastic" boxes) how high is to high for the birds to get into. ANd will they use a ramp to get into the upper nests?

[@carolrichardson5958]

I have 5 speckled Sussex hens, they are 7 months old & they have not started laying yet. Our weather has started getting cooler, but my other hens , different breeds, are laying. Any help with this issue would be appreciated

[@juliebaker6969]

Can you keep used egg shells and grind them to a powder to use as a calcium supplement? That would be a frugal source of the calcium they need wouldn't it.

[@palehorse1021]

Yes you can.

[@robburke8867]

Some people actually bake theirs in the oven. 200 for 10-15 minuets. Then grind them.

[@barbararickman8543]

Yep. Done this with mind since they were babies.

[@kylecrusch2804]

You dont need to put them in the oven for long, we just save our eggshells until we have a bunch of them and when my girlfriend is baking something, when she turns off the oven she puts the eggshells in the oven until it has cooled off, crush and mix with their kitchen scraps...

[@catfunksfabulousfinds]

If chickens are eating eggs, they need more protein in their diet. Add another brand of feed or some whole grain mix.

[@evamcauley1598]

+calcium 😊

[@jamesgames4280]

Thanks for sharing. God Bless

[@artline820]

Please someone help! In the UK.. the small ready made coop has the nesting box and perches at the same height and guess where they sleep? I end up having to clean the poop out of the boxes every day! 5 chickens..6 nesting boxes..they share when they sleep.. how can i sort this out since they are due to lay in 1 month?

[@tntfarmingsolutions4208]

Close off access to the nest boxes after egg laying/collection and before evening when they start to roost. They'll have no choice but to roost on the roost.

[@sandrabradyart]

I have 1 hen who started laying thin eggs. All my others ( 12)are strong good shells. But this one lays thin soft shells and has taken up eating the eggs. I provide a TSC layer food , and keep the feeder topped off. I have changed feed, started with organic, and then higher protein for mixed birds etc, and it doesn’t seem to make any difference Also I provide oyster shells as well as there own shells which I clean, bake on a low temp for an hour and crush up. So I’m doing everything you have suggested. My hens also free range most of the day. How do I break this hen from eating her eggs, and make sure the shells are hard enough? Any other suggestions?

[@darlene5621]

Roll away boxes or eat her 😂😂

[@michiganhomesteader5325]

Ceramic eggs are for teaching chickens to not eat eggs. Only Problem is that I think I accidentally sold them, no one ever said anything...lol

[@nilasspasov8417]

Yes, You are correct. Hahaha...

[@robburke8867]

Michigan Homesteader Now that is hilarious 😂

[@tntfarmingsolutions4208]

I used to boil a dozen eggs at a time, put them back in a carton with "B" on it and put them in the fridge for use later. I accidentally sold those one day. Good thing my customer had a good sense of humor and found a use for the conveniently already boiled eggs!

[@kylecrusch2804]

Nice

[@ericboss9691]

Good info.....thanks.

[@emeralddragon6845]

good info thank you!

[@theusconstitution1776]

We have two rooster little miniature Bantam roosters that we got a month or so after we got all our other chicks and no matter how we try I just don’t get along we tried to put them in the coop and the big chickens gang up on him two or three get on him and pound on him and so we keep them in a separate little coop on the porch because they’re just great little characters to have around. Any suggestions as to how I can integrate them into the coop with the rest of the girls? They are the only roosters I have and we originally thought because they were roosters why they would be OK then run the show but they get in there and boy do they get their asses kicked🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

[@tntfarmingsolutions4208]

Try placing them in the coop on the roost at night, in the dark. Chickens are pretty stupid that way. If they wake up and they're there, they'll think they've always been there. This is how I always introduce new birds to the flock and have never had an issue. Banties can also be quite plucky and if they're considerably smaller than the other birds, the other birds will definitely "put them in their place" which can sometimes be contrary to the Banty personality. If that is the case, you may just have to keep them separate if you really want to keep them.

[@124bucket]

i saw lots of eggs,how many chickens do you have?

[@sundaymodu3271]

Nice one

[@brianlawliss1080]

Golf Balls really work for nest boxes!

[@saranewsome2129]

One of my chickens have started laying a very small egg. I’m Not, sure what the deal is. Any advice? They all eat the same things.

[@jwiheath1928]

Sara Newsome my chickens have that safe problem

[@sierraguru6942]

It's something you usually get in younger birds. Sometime you get an egg forming prematurely so it is low volume and probably has no yolk. But there is something in the membrane so a shell forms. Whether the solution involves more growth, diet or some other environmental changes it usually resolves itself in a few days. I've seen eggs from chickens where the egg was smaller than a robin's egg. You didn't say how small they were or if they were yolked. If they're a normal egg, but abnormally small I'd guess you have pullets who are laying early and aren't ready to produce full sized eggs yet. That might take longer than a week, but the eggs will get bigger over time. If it's happening in an older hen she may just be getting too old. That can happen starting as early as two years old depending on the breed or breeds if she's a hybrid.

[@bbennett64]

Do you put your egg shells in your compost pile?

[@SSLFamilyDad]

Yup, also our pigs get a lot of them in the scrap bin

[@palehorse1021]

Yea worms love them too.

[@barbararickman8543]

I give my shells to the hens. Bake them, cool, crush, put in their feed for extra calcium. They need calcium very much. The shells don't break down in the compost very well so, let the birds have them.

[@debbiee6535]

Dad would always take the egg shells and have Mom begum and after they were big we break them down and then feed them to our chickens

[@vjs4539]

Thanks

[@FindNewIndieMusic]

The only thing that reduced egg eating was putting black curtains over the nesting box entrance to prevent them from seeing the eggs inside.

[@sweetlovetiger]

nice tips the eggs getting left around is a pain stepping on one the brain said darn the go's the omeltte lol

[@msdixie1972]

🤔

[@mirthenemrys]

My chickens just chill on the floor of the coop... lots of roosting spots up higher... newp they want to just chill on the floor... shrug.

[@lochamb1234]

My wee Bantams are the same, every morning it is a guessing game as to which corner or crook will they be snuggled in. Amazingly tonight they climbed / flew onto one of the roosting bars .....felt like a proud mamma

[@garywsmith70]

Try a golf ball .. works well..

[@lechatbotte.]

They roost up high to avoid predators. So leave and egg in to encourage egg laying in the box, but take them out so they don't eat them. My experience is some are egg eaters, if they are bye bye chicken. Once they get into the habit you won't break them. When you butcher them look at their liver if it's yellowish they have been egg eaters. I had a couple that ate eggs, despite having plenty to eat.

[@jbiebs1001]

lechatboote Its natural for chickens to eat their own eggs to replenish their bodies from laying. Were they being supplemented properly? I dont see why people immediately resort to killing when this happens. They are animals not egg machines. Especially when its a natural evolutionary behavior that maybe results in a loss of a few eggs here and there.

[@tntfarmingsolutions4208]

I keep between 40-100 birds. As well as cattle, goats, ducks and run my own business. I also cut/bale my own hay and heat with wood that I cut, buck and split myself. I don't have time to mess around trying to retrain an egg-eater. And a single bird will eat up to a dozen eggs or more a day, so it's not just a few eggs here and there. When I see consistent evidence of egg-eating, I'll take the bird out if I catch it pecking in the nest box or pay the kid up the road to sit in the coop for a few hours with his paintball gun and "mark" the bird for me to take care of later. Chicken soup is good any time of the year.

[@henrycastro-miller252]

If your chickens have worms they will have poopy eggs but if you give them some DE it clears them Up super fast.

[@palehorse1021]

Yes great stuff

[@LittleValleyAcresFarm]

Henry Castro-Miller what’s DE?

[@bethanybauk]

Dory E it is diatomaceous earth

[@Beecozz7]

Good stuff!

[@salmonhunter7414]

We used golf balls cheap and easy.

[@scriptureexplained-vy2wt]

Golf balls work too as a phony egg. And they'll never go bad.

[@pamcolechadwell1302]

Always leave a nest egg! kids toy Easter eggs put a rock in the Easter eggs to make them heavy and glue them together you can use golfballs also, I use these no need in wasting a good egg! yes always get the broken eggs out!

[@dm1478]

I put dirt in Easter eggs and hot glued them. Work like a charm!

[@10lizzard]

OMG, Please tell my birds to roost higher than their nest box! I have a few that refuse to sleep on the roost and prefer my roll away box

[@scottwallace3900]

You need to go in last thing and lift them out of the box and sit them up on the roost try doing it in as low a light as possible so they won't just hop back down you need to keep this up till they get the message hope this helps

[@cjboac9864]

10lizzard Make sure they are NOT roosting/resting on polls, it’s bad for their feet. Use a small width board (2- 3 inches wide) & they will grip it better!

[@10lizzard]

@@cjboac9864 thank you, but all my roosts are at least 3 1/2" ( with of a 2x4) or more

[@flots4570]

how long can i keep my eggs

[@completecricket5128]

How many chickens do you have

[@countryside8122]

Well mine like to roll the eggs out of the nesting box. Of course they break when they hit the ground and they will ALL go after it's broke. Also sometimes I get some really tiny eggs. Just a little bigger than a quarter.

[@binaryglitch64]

If anyone is struggling with the cognitive dissidence _(mental confusion)_ caused be the two seemingly conflicting common bits of advise given in the chicken keeping community (both of which were given in this video): To teach your layers to lay in the nesting boxes put and/or leave eggs in the boxes for an extra day... and to conflict with this we say for cleaner eggs and to keep your chickens from eating is there eggs, remove the eggs from the nesting box immediately... these bits of advise can be confusing to a new chicken keeper... how are you supposed to leave your eggs and take them out immediately?! I get it, so let me clear this up... first teach them to lay in the boxes by leaving them, not worrying about whether they eat them or not until the habit is formed... THEN break them of eating them by collecting every morning as earley as possible. I was raised with chickens and was unaware that this was confusing until it was pointed out to me by a neighbor who was confused, now I share how to resulve the confusion when I notice both pieces of advice being shared together online.

[@l.scottallen3818]

Along with ample nutritional feed ample available water is also will help to eliminate chickens eating eggs.

[@jamesjordan6005]

I grew up putting golf balls in the next, they work to

[@tonygarforth539]

a squirrel was taking eggs out of my egg box every day so i put plastic eggs in but it kept coming for over a week it took 13 plastic eggs before it gave up we got it on camera it still gives us a laugh watching it

[@rh5022]

I tried everything they r still eating eggs tried fake eggs egg roll boxes. What else can i do ?? Help.

[@davidberendt4160]

Two of the girls are laying eggs while sitting high on the roost. There are plenty of nesting boxes with straw .

[@Sharkdog11b]

The ceramic eggs are for chickens that are eating the eggs. That’s why you buy them.

[@mfrank3518]

My buddy who isn’t very good at keeping his animals clean brings me filthy eggs from time to time. I just throw them out and tell him they were good. I don’t want to hurt his feelings but his eggs are covered in shit. He’s a Chicago city boy trying to be self sufficient in Indiana. He works to much and is to tired after work to do it right. Any advice for him.

[@zman8845]

One problem I've notices is a lot of the 'backyard' chicken coops purchased have nest boxes that are virtually the same level as the roosting bars in the coop. The chicken coop we got has two nest boxes and two roosting bars inside the coop. The bars and the nest boxes are at the same level so of course our chickens are always sleeping in the nest boxes overnight. I need to figure out a way to raise the roosting bars with the limited space we have inside the coop.

[@tntfarmingsolutions4208]

Block off the nest boxes before evening so they have to use the roost bars.

[@zman8845]

@@tntfarmingsolutions4208 I did that every evening for months but with my work hrs I cannot be there to open the nest boxes in the mornings. I eventually modified the roosting bars so they are higher than the nest boxes and it worked.

[@kylecrusch2804]

Lower the nest box

[@zman8845]

@@kylecrusch2804 "modified the roosting bars so they are higher than the nest box" fixed the problem. It was easier to do that modification than it would have been to lower the nesting boxes.

[@BenoniBen]

Also close off under nest box to stop egg laying there

[@ynotshowme2ur3times]

Our hens will kick out straw and hay. They prefer shavings

[@palehorse1021]

Place a small piece of wood in the front of the box.