Egg laying/new coop

[chad05gsa]

So it finally arrived that most of my chickens have started laying eggs. I currently have one that's been laying in the barn and not the nesting box daily.
And just yesterday my children found three eggs out under the pine trees. They are free range all of the Time. I let them out in the early morning. So I'm guessing I'm going to have to leave them in the pen/coop until my wife gets home around 9 am, to help with this? Also I'm in the process of finishing up a new coop for them same location. Just that this one is three feet off the ground with the nesting boxes twelve inches of the floor. I am new to chickens and so far it been a great experience. Just need to fix this egg laying issue. Also is there any advice on having them switch to the new coop when it's finally finished? There current one is ground level and I don't like that it gets a damp floor on a heavy rain. I also found a nice led light for the coop to help them continue laying during the winter months ( just waiting for it to be shipped). Being I'm in upstate New York, the days are getting shorter quickly . Thanks for any help or suggestions you may have.

 

[iwiw60]

As you have chosen to let your girls free-range you are going to almost certainly have this problem. With that said, you can "lock them up" in the coop/run for 4-5 days so that they have to use the nesting boxes during that time. Hopefully they will "get it" and from then on continue to go to the nesting boxes to lay, but that's almost certainly is a 50/50 situation.

I wish you all the best!

 

[chad05gsa]

Thanks I'm going to give this a try, and keep my fingers crossed.

 

[fshinggrl]

I agree with locking them in the coop for a few days. Make sure your roosts are higher than your nest boxes or they will lay in the nest boxes at night.

 

[Wyandottes7]

I agree with locking them in the coop for a few days. Make sure your roosts are higher than your nest boxes or they will lay in the nest boxes at night.

X2

By locking them in the coop for a few days, they'll be forced to lay at least inside the coop, if not in the nest boxes. This will hopefully transfer over to them laying in the coop even when free ranging.

 

[chad05gsa]

I agree with locking them in the coop for a few days. Make sure your roosts are higher than your nest boxes or they will lay in the nest boxes at night.

I did end up putting the roots up higher than the nesting boxes this round. Something I didn't do on my first coop (live and learn lol).

 

[aart]

Locking them in the new coop for a few days will both 'home' them to the new coop and hopefully 'force' them to lay in the nests.