Our 1st egg!!! ... in a tarp...yikes

[Ellisa]

One of our cuties, just started laying eggs...3 so far... we have a tarp in the barn and she's been laying there. How do I get her to lay in the coop?

The coop houses 9 hens and it has a heat lamp, food and water. It's snowy outside...so they don't like leaving.

She leaves just to lay an egg...she walks in the snow to get to the tarp.

Thanks!!!!

 

[BantamLover21]

There are several ways to encourage hens to lay in certain spots, but if a hen is really determined to lay in a particular place, little will stop her from doing that. Firstly, take a look at the nest boxes. Are they in a slightly darkened, secluded area? Is there a good layer of clean shavings/straw in them? Can the hens fit into the nest boxes ( a little cramped is fine, but you don't want the box to be huge or tiny)? Chickens don't like laying in bright or highly-traveled areas, and many don't like laying in poorly bedded boxes.

If the nest boxes seem fine, the next thing I would do is put some fake eggs in the nest boxes. You can use anything round and medium in size, golf balls, easter eggs, etc. Hens like laying in places where it looks like other hens have laid.

If the nest boxes are fine, and the fake eggs don't work, then I think the best thing to do would be to lock the hens (or just the problem hen) into the coop for a few days. That way, she'll be forced to lay in the coop/nest boxes, and should get used to laying there. After a few days, you can let her out again and see what happens.

 

[Ellisa]

Thank you!!! That is super helpful!!!