Drama in the Henhouse

Ok, so the chicken experts tell you to provide one 12" x 12" nest box per four hens, and to place a plastic fake egg or golf ball in said nest so they will say, "hmmm, this looks like a good place to lay an egg...why there is one already here!". Why my visually acute chickens who can see a treat dish and come running from 25 yards away, or can distinguish a tossed lima bean from a lima bean shell would think a golf ball is an egg is beyond me...but it worked.

So according to the experts, with five hens we needed one and a fifth nest boxes. Instead we gave them a three foot long addition, to provide ample room should more than one hen need to lay at the same time. This worked great a couple of weeks as the first few began to lay. As all the chickens began to lay, we noticed at times a line forming waiting for the nest. They looked like human chicks waiting for the only stall in the ladies room. This was further complicated by pecking order. If a dominate hen was in the nest, she would growl at her underlings until they backed off to the coop door. If a bottom pecking order girl was on the nest, a more dominate hen would get within several inches of her and stare her down while she quickly did her business. I saw one gal stand up during this intimidation and turn around so only her fluffy butt was facing the intimidator. I've seen Izzie who is #2, but is #1 Phoebes best friend, climb on top of her bud and practically lay an egg on top of her.

Seems they all wanted to lay on the side with the golf ball. The girls that had to wait sometimes an hour or more were looking red in the face and very uncomfortable. Too much drama in the coop. Being smarter than chickens we decided to put two more golf balls in the nest-one on the left, one in the middle, and one on the right. By the end of the first morning they had all been rolled to the right side and Sadie sat on them most of the morning assuming she had a nice clutch to hatch! By the afternoon she abandoned the nest and the carpenters came by and installed a partition. One golf ball on each side and for the next few days, two or three eggs laid on each side.

Peace in the nest box. Violet has her own space on the left. Phoebe allows Izzie to share her space.

All goes well, although at times there is still a line for the facilities...

Ellie patiently waits her turn.

Two on deck...one in the hole.