We have our first eggs! But not on the box…

[Svyetii]

After much anticipation, we have our first eggs! I watched our Buff Orpington walk straight to the back of the garden when I let her out this morning and found that she had made a nest on a partially used hay bale; and low and behold, she laid what I found to be her third egg! In truth, it’s quite a lovely little spot. But not preditor proof and not a habit I’d like to cement that results in a regular hunt for eggs….

So, what should I do? I do have fake eggs in the nesting boxes. The boxes are a bit new. I opened them up for the girls two weeks ago. The buff is the first to lay. I’ve ready that it might help to lock them up in the coop for a week or two while they get the hang of the coop? The girls free range whenever I’m home to keep an eye on them, so they are used to wandering some throughout the day. Anyone have a good strategy for getting them to consider the nesting boxes before this becomes a serious habit that I can’t break?

Thanks!
Sarah

 

[azygous]

It's simple. Close them up in coop and run in the mornings for the next couple weeks. You may let them out to free range in the late afternoon.

This will allow you to keep a close eye on the new layers and if you see this one or others trying to make a nest any place other than a nest box, you can pick them up and place them in it. It usually only takes a few days of this to give them the right idea.

 

[Svyetii]

It's simple. Close them up in coop and run in the mornings for the next couple weeks. You may let them out to free range in the late afternoon.

This will allow you to keep a close eye on the new layers and if you see this one or others trying to make a nest any place other than a nest box, you can pick them up and place them in it. It usually only takes a few days of this to give them the right idea.

Awesome, thanks! The only complication is that despite having a ramp, the chickens haven’t learned how to put themselves to bed at night up the ramp, so I have to hand place them on their roost. Otherwise, they’ll just roost in the run. They’ve gone up the ramp for treats (me trying to teach them to use the ramp), but they won’t go voluntarily. I say this only because I’m not sure she’ll figure out how to go up the ramp to get to the nest boxes if she’s already come into the run. I suppose I could just sit out there in the morning and place her back in when she comes out (we have an automatic door)…

 

[azygous]

Is the coop large enough the hens could all spend the morning closed up? That would train all of them to search no farther than the boxes in the coop to lay eggs in.

Making a hen's world small in order to limit nesting choices is the easiest way to train them. It really doesn't take very long, perhaps as little as to days.

 

[Yardmom]

Keeping the birds locked a bit longer each morning will help with getting them to lay in the boxes. It will also get them to see the coop more as home and hopefully get them to put themselves to bed. That is as long as the coop is comfortable and the ramp easy to use. It usually takes 1 time for my chicks to learn to use a ramp once we walk them up. I haven't added grown birds, so I don't know if it is as simple for them

 

[David61]

hang curtains on the nest box. My new girls don't really like to lay until everyone has been turned out of the 6x14 coop. she may want more privacy AKA dont be eye balling me. Chickens can be funny about most anything. They are chicken.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The only complication is that despite having a ramp, the chickens haven’t learned how to put themselves to bed at night up the ramp, so I have to hand place them on their roost. Otherwise, they’ll just roost in the run. They’ve gone up the ramp for treats (me trying to teach them to use the ramp), but they won’t go voluntarily.

Photos of the set up? Is the ramp too steep maybe, too narrow? Is the coop naturally well lit and ventilated so the chickens will want (and can see) to go inside?

 

[aart]

Photos of the set up? Is the ramp too steep maybe, too narrow? Is the coop naturally well lit and ventilated so the chickens will want (and can see) to go inside?

Ditto Dat^^^

 

[Svyetii]

Thanks everyone! I’m keeping the girls locked up this morning and hoping they’ll figure it out. They do know how to go up the ramp and have gone up a couple times - and gone in to check out the nest boxes - but they still don’t put themselves to bed in the coop…. Perhaps once they figure out that they need to go up the ramp to get to the nest box and lay, they’ll realize they need to do that for bed. (We have an automatic door also, so maybe that’s complicating things and I should leave it open for a while until they get the hang of it…). We currently only have two girls as we lost two to a bobcat before I finished our permanent coop, and another turned out to be a roo. I’ll be getting four chicks this week to add the flock.

For those of you who asked for pictures, here they are: I’m a first time chicken owner and first time coop builder, so I’ve been learning as I go, but I think I’ve got the bases covered. Please go easy on me, but I welcome any feedback you might have. Thanks!

 

[Yardmom]

Where specificly (on the ground, on a roost ???) do your chickens go when it is time to go to roost? Once they are in the coop do they sit on the roosts?