One hen laying outside

[carrierme]

All of my 14 hens are laying but only one of the hens will not lay in the nest boxes. She lays her egg outside in the run under the coop. I wonder if she is low hen on the ladder and the others are not allowing her to lay inside or some other reason. On another note, I bought a couple of the ceramic eggs to put in the nests when they first started laying. I noticed that they disappeared after awhile. The only thing that I could figure was that a snake might have eaten it. Well, the other day I found the egg quite a ways from the coop and it had a dead snake skin around it. I guess that snake paid a price for being greedy! I haven't found the other egg yet, but still looking.

 

[chickens really]

Do your best to cover all entry ways the snakes are getting in....
The Pullet laying out in the run is just a pullet not comfortable in the nest boxes...She will learn...Put something in the same place as she has been laying to encourage her into the boxes...I have never used a fake egg in all my years with Chickens and they use the boxes...Sometime a hen will start laying on the floor of my coop...I never really care...They catch on in time...

Cheers!

 

[carrierme]

Thanks for the reply.

 

[HeyHouse]

Also check her nest box for fleas or mites. Make sure the box is warm and comfy. She may have a good reason to avoid the box. In general, you need your nest boxes to be more attractive than any natural nests in your yard.

If the box looks fine, you can also lock her in the coop for a day to retrain her to lay inside.