Are Some Hens Prone to Laying Outside the Coop?

[billygoat162]

Has anyone had a hen that just seemed to favor creating nests in the yard instead of laying eggs inside the coop? I've been battling this for 2 years and I think I've successfully traced it to just one hen, a quiet and unassuming blue Wyandotte. So far I've eliminated probably 15 different nesting sites in the yard, but she keeps making more. Usually I catch them early, but one nest I found was under a giant blackberry bush last fall and must have had 50 eggs.

I figured out that the coop was getting too hot in the summer and other hens were adding to the outside nests, but a) I have since fixed this with a tarp and b) the one blue Wynadotte keeps laying outside even in winter. I found her sitting on a clutch of eggs under a rosebush at 11PM in November when it was ~20F outside and snowing. The other hens seem to be laying inside the coop now.

Does it seem like some hens just lay outside the coop no matter what you do? I'm thinking of rehoming this one but want to make sure that's the best way to stop my dog from finding eggs in the yard (and bringing them inside) first.

 

[SueT]

In my flock, it was always the lowest ranking hens that weren’t allowed in the nests.

 

[Isadora]

In my flock, it was always the lowest ranking hens that weren’t allowed in the nests.

X2.
Exactly what I've noticed with my flock.

 

[billygoat162]

In my flock, it was always the lowest ranking hens that weren’t allowed in the nests.

I've seen this one pick on other hens. The lowest ranking ones will make a fuss until the boxes aren't being used, but this one just seems to go against the grain.

 

[azygous]

You have two problems. One is these hens have developed the bad habit of laying outside the nest boxes in the coop. The second problem is the nest boxes and the coop are less than inviting to hens wanting to lay.

How to resolve both problems? To break a bad habit requires blocking the behavior from occurring. Either block off all outdoor nesting spots or confine all the hens in the coop for a week until they are all comfortably laying in the nest boxes.

Second problem, how to make laying in the nest boxes attractive? Only you can assess the coop and nests. The requirements of a comfortable nest box is comfortable size that a hen can stand up in and move around in easily. It has to have comfortable bedding that a hen can titivate (arrange) the bedding to her liking. This is a ritual that can be extremely important to some layers. The bedding must be free of insects. Check with a magnifying glass or completely clean it out and install fresh clean material.

Privacy and peace are requirements. There should be enough nests that all hens can find one when she needs to lay. If it's in bright light, this is not going to be inviting.

Accessibility is crucial. A nest box needs a perch in front of it so a hen can use it to enter the nest. It must not be too high up unless there is a way to ladder hop up to it.

The coop, as you've discovered, has to be comfortable, not too cold or too hot. If you can't stand to be in there for any reason, neither will your chickens like it.

 

[CloneFly]

I have an EE and 2 Jerseys that just won't lay in the coop as well. So more often than not, I have to run around and collect the eggs before they're squished by the goose!