14 hens laying everywhere. Please help me

[DAFox]

This seems to be a job for a chicken psychologist.

Which I'm not, but it seems they need rehabilitation. How long have you had these birds? If you are sure they are healthy and have had them for well over a month, perhaps you might want to put a couple with a few of your mannerly hens so they can learn proper hen behavior? If that works keep at it...otherwise freezer camp?? Maybe try that more than once with different combinations of mannerly hens vs the Red hens before the stewpot?
Good luck,
Dale-Ann

 

[DAFox]

Oh, I just had another thought. Maybe the nest box is too exposed for them? I use an opaque rubbermaid plastic tote with a hole cut in the side big enough for my largest hen. One box per 4 hens.

 

[pattgal]

DAFox: my freezer is full, lol. Just finished freezer camp last week
Ive had these hens for one night so far, but hear me out,

my mom was holding on to them for me until we had time to do "freezer camp" so we would have the room for these new hens (which are pullets by the way) She was having the same problem that I am having now. I apologize for not giving more info from the beginning. so here's my update:
I (Idiotically) realized that there was only the one nestbox in there....So I added a few cardboard boxes tilted sideways for more privacy (in case that is there problem because you just never know what goes through a chicken's mind) that said, how many boxes do I need for 14 hens (considering that they are the size of a milk crate + hay)
as for the poop, if the number of boxes was the problem, all i know to do is keep pushing them out unless they are laying.... and hope they get the point sooner rather than later

 

[Judy]

The rule of thumb is one nest for four hens, but as the number of hens gets bigger, you can increase the ratio a bit. For 14 I would use 3 nest boxes. Cardboard boxes and milk creates are fine. Some chickens seem to prefer feeling more hidden, so putting at least some on their side is a good idea.

A discarded covered kitty litter box works well, too. Or uncovered, depending on the chicken.

 

[sjarvis00]

If the nest box is too open and they are able to stand in it they will poop in it. Try turning the milk crate on it's side. Then try to stack some wood or something in it to make the nest box so they cannot stand, then add your straw or filler. When we first got chicken I had 12in by 12in nest boxes, the hens would lay everywhere but in the nest box and poop in the nest box. now we have them 12in by 9 in. It looks small but they will fit in there and like it better. They no longer poop in the nest boxes and they do lay their eggs in there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is a strange one. I've never noticed chickens going to a special place to potty. What do you think, DAFOX. Did the nuns potty train them? I can't think of anything else that makes sense. I think I'd approach this on the basis that they have been potty trained and that milk crate nest looks like their old potty. If anybody can come up with something better, I'm willing to listen.

I'd be real tempted to leave the milk crate nest there. It is an easy way to collect the poop for a compost heap and it keeps the rest of the coop cleaner so the bedding will last longer. As long as they are not laying there, I don't see a lot of harm in leaving them. If you remove them, where are they going to start pooping next?

I'd go ahead and build those permanent nests. Make sure they don't look like the milk crate nests. I'd think something solid and make it as dark as you can. Some people go so far as to put a curtain over the opening to keep it dark, maybe strips of cloth that they can get through or a curtain slit a couple of places. Maybe someone that's done it can help with that. Since the other is on the ground, I'd elevate these at least a couple of feet just to help make them different. Chickens often prefer a darker place to lay, something that looks like a safe place from predators. I think the darkness helps calm them too. I know. A lot of hens choose to lay out in the open, but I'm talking about normal hens. Even shadows on a open space will make some hens think they are laying in a hidden place.

The rule of thumb is one nest box for every 4 hens. I didn't notice how many you have, but I'd build one more than you need based on this rule of thumb and I'd build them so you can lock a hen in them. I don't know what the egg pace looks like. I've had hens decide to lay on the coop floor instead of in the nest box with the others, even with fake eggs and other hens already laying in there. They consistently lay in the same spot though, not just drop their eggs everywhere, at least after they leave the pullet just starting to lay phase. When I see them in their laying spot, I catch them and lock them in the nest where I want them to lay until they lay the egg, then I let them out. This usually takes about a half hour and only one or two times, but I had one stubborn hen that took over three hours, then I had to do it again the next day.

I make no guarantees that any of this willk work. I've never seen anything like this. Good luck with it!

 

[Ema]

I wanted to build a nice community box for my chickens to lay in but hubby went out of town for work again and me and power tools are not good friends. anyhow my pullets started to lay really early, at 16 weeks, I didn't think they were ready to lay and then suddenly I found three eggs in a corner. I now kinda had the idea that since they started laying in the corners of the coop that they would be hard to retrain to use a nest box. I racked my brain as to what to use and though I was told to just use a cardboard box or two until hubby came back home I really did not like the idea of using boxes as they get real dirty and smell after a while. Anyhow I was shopping through walmart and the Loreal rep was in doing some clean up and I noticed all these 12x12 plastic boxes on the floor. I asked her what she planned on doing with them and she said she was throwing them out. A walmart employee and the loreal rep helped me load all the boxes into my vehicle. I only took 15 but then she told me she had a skid of brand new ones left and I could have those too, so I picked some up for my friend who has chickens too.

I then went into the coop and added 3 boxes, in the corners where they were laying. the boxes like I said are 12x12 and have an open top. I added a bunch of straw in them and they quickly ran to check them out. they first day they pooped in there and took all the straw out, and found elsewhere to lay. so I cleaned out the boxes and add 2 more where I found eggs. the next day same thing, on day 3 I added another 6 boxes eliminating any corners where they might be tempted to lay, in all I got 11 boxes in there for 21 chickens. on day 4 I was expecting to find the eggs in the middle of the coop but I guess they don't like to lay in exposed high traffic areas and I found all the eggs in the nesting boxes closest to the corners. I really thought I was in for a battle I wouldn't win, and retraining them was easier than I thought.

As well as having no tops to the boxes, they are also on the floor, and away from the roosts. my chickens like the boxes just fine.

you could try this, or you could take a couple chickens at a time and put them in your other pen and have your well mannered chickens retrain them, but I wouldn't do this right away if your quarantine time is not up yet!!

 

[pattgal]

I think the idea of tipping the boxes so they can't stand is a wonderful idea sjarvis00, It completely makes chicken sense.
So far so good, Ive collected 7 out of 14 eggs and its early in the day. pretty good considering they have just been moved
And all of them were clean, and in the boxes. this is awesome. thanks for helping me think Chicken.
I think we are on the right track

 

[sjarvis00]

That was fast.... Hope they keep laying in the boxes for you.

 

[DAFox]

Yay!
Dale-Ann