doughouse
Songster
So we have four pullets who just started laying after Thanksgiving. Two of them use the nesting boxes (we think), and two (we think) are laying eggs in the run. And it's not like they've found some secluded corner of a large space: we built a Garden Coop, so the whole run in maybe 10'x5'.
Look at that little punk, just laying an egg next to the waterer, where everyone walks!
They seem to be digging out a divot in the dirt and bedding to make a little hole for them to lay in. When we first noticed it there were already three eggs in it! Obviously we want to discourage this behavior and encourage the run-layers to emulate the nesting box-layers. We had a big snowstorm last week and none of them left the henhouse for an entire day (I was panicking a bit that they'd dehydrate or starve, since their food and water is down in the run!) and I thought that might get the run layers to discover the convenience and privacy of the nesting boxes, but the very next day they were back at it, laying run eggs.
Any suggestions on how to get them to encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes? I'm inclined to cover that whole run nesting area with snow to discourage them, but temps will be up in the 50s for the next few days and I don't want to get the run all muddy and gross: I want my girls as dry as possible, especially since temps will drop back below freezing those nights. My wife thinks we should just cede to the run-layers and put another nesting box down in that spot.
Any thoughts and advice would be very welcome and appreciated.
Look at that little punk, just laying an egg next to the waterer, where everyone walks!
They seem to be digging out a divot in the dirt and bedding to make a little hole for them to lay in. When we first noticed it there were already three eggs in it! Obviously we want to discourage this behavior and encourage the run-layers to emulate the nesting box-layers. We had a big snowstorm last week and none of them left the henhouse for an entire day (I was panicking a bit that they'd dehydrate or starve, since their food and water is down in the run!) and I thought that might get the run layers to discover the convenience and privacy of the nesting boxes, but the very next day they were back at it, laying run eggs.
Any suggestions on how to get them to encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes? I'm inclined to cover that whole run nesting area with snow to discourage them, but temps will be up in the 50s for the next few days and I don't want to get the run all muddy and gross: I want my girls as dry as possible, especially since temps will drop back below freezing those nights. My wife thinks we should just cede to the run-layers and put another nesting box down in that spot.
Any thoughts and advice would be very welcome and appreciated.