Free Range chickens not laying in their coop. HELP!

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I have 9 hens and only one or two that lay in the nesting boxes in the coop. Every day is like an Easter egg hunt.

Don't worry about whether they are fertilized or not. Fresh are fine. Worry about how old they are instead. Crack them separately into a bowl instead of into the pan. Surprises are not fun
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I enjoyed reading the postings.

I have been retraining my two ex battery hens and what I found is that to retrain them, do not give them any options, either roosting or nesting.

They started with laying all over the place until they decided on one spot and I put the box over that place and put their eggs in the box while they watched. The very next day and the days after that, they just kept laying in the box no matter where I move the box to.

I am quite impressed with my two retrained hens.

eggs are good for a least 2-3 weeks if not incubated or in the heat. Do the sink float test.
 
I found a nest outside my coop today... I rushed and brought the 4 eggs inside while the hen was clucking up a storm, I don't know if she laid today or not but she's been coming up from a brushy spot behind the coop the past week or so. She went into the coop for a little bit. And then went to find where ever the flock had wandered off to for the morning.

Had I thought it through I should have tried to get her locked up in the coop and put the four eggs in an empty nesting box and then her on them but oh well... the eggs were tasty.
 
I have the same problem. We live on a 250 acre farm and I let the hens out at 6:30am and lock them up at dark. Out of nine hens I'm only getting an egg or two a day. I can not find the alternative nests at all. I looked all over. I guess I will have to let the ladies in the coop for a week or so to get them used to laying in the boxes again. I was wondering what to do. This forum is so full of knowledge!
 
One hen laid in a nesting box from day one. I figured that the others were not mature enough yet, till I found that one of them laid her egg in some grass clippings that had blown onto the back porch. The pullets seem to have a set routine. When they are let out, they go to the east side of the house, poke around there a bit for things they like to eat, go to the north side, then the west and back to the coop. If it's still light outside they may explore further. So I may follow them around one day to see if I can find any other improvised nests. But I may also take the advice of others and keep them in the coop and run until late afternoon and see if that gets the other gals to use their nesting boxes.
 
fldiver97 said:
Not sure, depends on temperature outside too. One thing you can try with any egg (I used to do it with storebought eggs) to check for 'freshness': submerge the egg in a bowl of water. Fresh eggs will be on the bottom. The older the egg, the more air inside and that means it will start to be kind of upright instead of on it's side on the bottom of the bowl. If it floats it's too old..... I would not use it. Not sure if you suspect eggs to be fertile though...
I know people candle eggs but I 'know nothing about birthing and babies, mam'
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Maybe someone else can give you better info...
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Gone With the Wind!
 

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