bad laying habit

[chica-z]

I don't know if one of my hens has the worst mothering instincts or what, but...one of them has got into the habit of laying her egg OUTSIDE in the covered run. It's 20 degrees out and they have a nice warm coop with nest boxes, which the others have so studiously decided to use. My question is, do I just humor her and put a makeshift nest out there? There is nothing wrong with my nests from what I can tell by reading other posts on the topic. She's been doing this for weeks now, so it's not just a newbie thing.

 

[katrinag]

You can try locking them in the coop for a couple day and see if she will lay in the box then.
Also you should have 1 nest box for 4-5 hens.

 

[chica-z]

Thanks, I'll try that...hopefully they don't go stir crazy in there and peck each other too bad.

Silly birds...

 

[sdshoars]

why dont you let everyone out, but shut her in all day with a friend maybe?

 

[katrinag]

I have tried that with no luck.

Also what are you using for nesting boxes?
Mine love the 5 gallon bucket nesting box. Others use milk crates, cat littler, dish wash pans etc..

 

[cubalaya]

how about leaving a fake egg in the box?

 

[chica-z]

I don't think locking them in isn't going to work...I don't know which one is doing it, and my coop isn't big enough to lock them all in for a whole day. They would go crazy.
My nests are 12x12 boxes my hubby made. I just put curtains over the front of a couple of them, to see if they preferred it darker since they are pretty open right now. I do have fake eggs in each box. Our run does have some egg sized rocks in it-there are rocks EVERYWHERE here though. Is it possible she thinks these rocks are eggs?? Do I need to go pick out all the little rocks out of my run?

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

maybe she doesnt like the curtains. have you ever seen her in the nest boxes at all?

 

[KellyHM]

One of my EE hens kept laying in the next box my broody was sitting in and when the broody's eggs finally hatched and I seperated her and her box, the EE hen got so mad that now she lays in my hay bales when she's out free-ranging. I tried keeping her locked up a couple days and she did use a different nest box, but goes right back to the hay bales when I let her out. Oh well, at least I know where to find the eggs. Silly chickens...

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

one other questions, does she roost? I have a couple who dont roost and they lay their eggs on the floor in the coop, and that is only recently. They used to lay them in the chicken yard every time.