Getting Clean Eggs From Your Chickens.
I get asked all the time how I get such clean eggs from my chicken coop. Most people who ask me, have their own chickens and they are battling constant dirty eggs. They are so frustrated with all the cleaning they have to do before eating or selling them. What I tell them is when I got baby chicks, I trained my chickens to understand that their nesting boxes serve one purpose, egg-laying. I watch as their hopeful expression changes because how can they train their adult hens who have been set in their ways for a few years now? Don’t despair as I will explain how to train new chicks and those already established hens!
If you’re new to chickens and are newly researching all the ways to keep them, this is what I consider a major aspect to keeping healthy chickens who don’t dirty their eggs. When introducing chickens to their chicken coop they should not have access to their nesting boxes until you find the first eggs. We use plywood to keep that area separate from the rest of the coop. Once we found that first rogue egg, we knew it was time to open up their nesting boxes. We placed ceramic eggs in their nesting boxes, one in each.
When the chickens reach the appropriate age and start laying eggs, it is natural for them to explore different areas to find a suitable spot. This is when you discovered that first egg in a random location. To help the chickens understand where they should lay eggs, now is the time to unblock the nesting area and introduce ceramic eggs.
The purpose of using ceramic eggs is to mimic the appearance and feel of real eggs. By placing them in the nesting boxes, you provide a visual and tactile cue to the chickens that this is the preferred location for egg-laying. Chickens have a natural instinct to lay their eggs where other eggs are present, so by introducing the ceramic eggs, you encourage them to associate the nesting boxes with egg-laying.
The presence of the ceramic eggs helps establish a pattern and guide the chickens' behavior. They will recognize the nesting boxes as the appropriate place for laying eggs, and over time, they will develop the habit of consistently using the designated area. This method is effective in ensuring that the chickens lay their eggs in a clean and easily accessible location, making it convenient for you to collect the eggs and maintain cleanliness in the coop.
It's important to note that while the ceramic eggs serve as a helpful visual cue, regular collection of eggs is essential to reinforce the behavior. Promptly removing eggs encourages the chickens to continue using the nesting boxes, as they perceive the eggs to be valuable and protected in that area.
Overall, blocking off the nesting boxes until the chickens reach laying age and then introducing ceramic eggs to guide them to the desired location is a practical approach to promote clean egg-laying habits in your flock. Here's how these measures help in achieving clean eggs:
Establishing the nesting area: By blocking off the nesting boxes initially, you give the chickens a clear message that these boxes are intended for egg-laying purposes only. This helps establish the association between the nesting boxes and the act of laying eggs.
Introducing ceramic eggs: Placing ceramic eggs in the nesting boxes serves as a visual cue for the chickens. They recognize the presence of eggs and instinctively understand that this is the appropriate location for laying.
Reinforcing the desired behavior: Chickens are inclined to lay their eggs where other eggs are present. By consistently collecting the laid eggs from the nesting boxes, you maintain the habit of reinforcement. The chickens realize that their eggs are being collected, which encourages them to continue using the nesting boxes for laying.
By following this approach, the chickens are likely to view the nesting boxes primarily as a functional area for egg-laying rather than a place to hang out or spend their time. They understand the purpose of the nesting boxes and will utilize them accordingly. This helps ensure that they do not linger in the nesting boxes unnecessarily, reducing the chances of dirty eggs due to prolonged contact or contamination.
Of course, it's essential to regularly clean the nesting boxes and provide comfortable bedding to maintain a clean and hygienic environment. Additionally, ensuring your chickens have access to a suitable range of activities and ample space outside the nesting boxes can further discourage them from lingering inside unnecessarily. By implementing these measures and maintaining good flock management practices, you increase the likelihood of consistently obtaining clean eggs from your chickens while keeping the nesting boxes primarily dedicated to their intended purpose of egg-laying.
When it comes to training older hens to lay eggs exclusively in their nesting boxes, it can be a bit more challenging than training younger chickens. It is in fact still possible with some patience and consistent reinforcement. The first thing that I would implement when training an established flock is 48-72 hours of lockdown. Just like I’ve mentioned in a recent blog post, I always lock my new chickens in their chicken coop for three days so they understand where their home is, and they can put themselves to bed at night. It really is the same thought process for retraining on nesting boxes. Of course, this is not fail-proof and there may be a really stubborn hen, but here are the steps I would take to train older hens:
Clean and prepare the nesting boxes: Ensure that the nesting boxes are clean, comfortable, and appealing to the hens. Remove any old nesting material or debris and provide fresh bedding.
Lock the chickens exclusively in their chicken coop for 48-72 hours, ONLY if your coop provides adequate space and is well-ventilated and safe. During this time the chickens may have food and water. This is the only time you will allow food and water in their coop.
Also, during the lockdown, go around and change, block off, or remove areas where they were laying eggs before, that was not in the nesting area.
Let them out after normal egg-laying time on the second or third day. For us, that is around 2 pm on the third day.
Clean the coop from them being in there for three days and remove food and water.
Continue to block access to other areas: Temporarily restrict the hens' access to the locations where they had been laying eggs outside the nesting boxes.
Encourage nesting box use: Place ceramic or fake eggs in the nesting boxes to make them more attractive and familiar to the hens.
Consistent redirection: Whenever you find an egg outside the nesting box, gently pick it up and move it into the nesting box and leave it for a few hours. This reinforces the idea that eggs belong in the designated area.
Positive reinforcement: When the hens lay eggs in the nesting boxes, provide positive reinforcement by offering treats or praising them. This helps strengthen the association between laying eggs in the boxes and receiving rewards.
Be patient and persistent: Training older hens may take some time, so be consistent with redirection and positive reinforcement. Over time, they will begin to understand and prefer the nesting boxes for egg-laying.
By implementing these measures and maintaining good flock management practices, you increase the likelihood of consistently obtaining clean eggs from your chickens while keeping the nesting boxes primarily dedicated to their intended purpose of egg-laying. If you would like to support us and browse our Amazon affiliate website where we list all the things mentioned in this blog post, please click here —> Amazon Store Front
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I pray you have a wonderful week!
-Sarah