The problem had been hens sleeping in the nest boxes. Well, ok there was a rooster that was doing it too but Hei Hei is a totally different story. Let's just say he really takes after his namesake!
Anyway, here is How I got my chickens to stop sleeping in the nest boxes. This is probably the number 1 factor in keeping my eggs clean!
Other than that issue I rarely have a problem with dirty eggs and I attribute that to these practices.
Clean eggs from the nest box
When a hen lays an egg it comes out of the cloaca clean though slightly wet from the bloom. In order to keep it that way a few other factors come into play. Unfortunately unless it's really muddy outside, the 'dirt' on the eggs is probably poop.
Here are the different factors you can control to keep your hens eggs from getting poopy.
Enough nest boxes:
Yes, I know all the hens tend to prefer the same nest box but it's still important to provide other options. A good formula is 1 nest box to every 4 laying hens. Chances are they will all use the same 3 nest boxes, but keep the others there and clean just in case.Lots of bedding:
I take a peek into the nest box each time I collect eggs and make sure there is plenty of soft bedding inside. Hens tend to kick it out as they get comfortable. Lots of soft bedding keeps the eggs from rolling around on the hard bottom of the nest box and possibly cracking into each other.I keep a bucket of fresh bedding in the coop to add more as needed.
Related reading: What the perfect nest box needs.
Clean nest boxes:
Remove any poop that is in the nest box and replace soiled bedding daily. There shouldn't be any poop normally, but sometimes it happens and the sooner you get it out the better. I keep gloves and a small garden shovel in the coop to easily remove anything that shouldn't be in the nest box.Broody hens:
I never let the broody hens set in the nest boxes. It generally causes a host of problems with the hatch and other hens. From fights over the nest box to eggs in various stages of incubation and even injured chicks from falling out, it's best to just not allow hens to brood in the nest box.Here's how I care for broody hens instead.
Calcium supplements:
Soft shell eggs are caused by a calcium deficiency in the hen. They are also much easier to break than regular eggs and many times will rupture all over the nest box the very next time a hen gets in to lay her egg. I give my chickens eggshells as a calcium supplement and rarely have a soft shelled egg.Collect eggs often:
Collecting eggs at least once a day and sometimes more often (depending on season) keeps the nest box less cluttered. When a hen sits down to lay an egg she shifts around the other eggs to get comfortable. Most hens are gentle, but some bang the eggs together enough to cause hairline cracks.Cracked and seeping eggs make a mess contributing to the dirty eggs problem and can even cause egg eating to start!
If after following these tips you still find dirty eggs in the nest boxes, then it's probably time to take a look at your hens butt! If the feathers near her vent are dirty and collecting poop, it may transfer to the eggs as she's laying.
Trim away or clean any poopy feathers and keep an eye on her to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Soiled butt feathers can also be an indication of vent gleet which should be treated immediately. Here's How to treat vent gleet in backyard chickens.
Hens should have beautiful fluffy butts like so:
Now that I have the problems in my coop fixed, the eggs are clean each day when I go to collect them! Which is really good, because I don't like to wash my farm fresh eggs!
Want to know more about farm fresh chicken eggs? Click here for my other posts on everything you ever wanted to know about eggs!
~L
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I find that the main source of dirty eggs is because when it rains, the hens get their muddy feet on the eggs already laid. Any suggestions to deal with that?
ReplyDeleteI agree, sometimes the dirt on freshly laid eggs is mud! The best way to deal with mud is to have a thick layer of clean dry bedding on the floor between the door and the nest boxes. Hopefully as the hens walk into the coop and over the bedding, the mud will stick to the bedding and not their feet.
DeleteLisa
My girls don't use their nest boxes and lay their eggs on the coop floor or outside wherever they please. How do I get them to lay in their nest boxes?
ReplyDeleteHave you tried confining them to the coop until after they lay their eggs in the morning? Also place an egg in each nest box, and show the hens that the eggs are there. Sometimes that helps. Good luck!
DeleteLisa
We use a plastic egg to encourage the to use their boxes. IIt works well for us.
DeleteYes, plastic eggs in the nest box work well as do those ceramic eggs that they sell in feed stores.
DeleteMy hens were laying eggs everywhere until I put golf balls in the nesting boxes. I hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteIt should work! Sometimes they just need a little guidance as to where to lay their eggs. Good luck!
Delete~L
What do you use for the bedding in your boxes? I use a lot of bedding, pine shavings, and they just kick it out. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteI generally just use shavings. Most of my next boxes have a deep lip at the front so the bedding doesn't get kicked out easily. If they are kicking the bedding out though, switch to hay or straw. It tends to stay inn better.
DeleteLisa
We use Timothy hay for bedding and boxes.
ReplyDelete