BR hen keeps changing laying locations.

[Breezy_Living]

Other than my roo issue, I have a funny little free range Barred Rock hen that keeps changing her laying location on me. At first she wasn't free range but she is the ULTIMATE escape artist so I gave up and just let her lay under the tarp where we keep the dry straw for their coop changing. Then she was laying under a nearby by bush. And now, I have no idea!
I'm almost tempted to get up at 5am and just watch where she goes! I understand this is what you risk with free ranging but the other 2 RIR hens lay in the coop fine, before AND after they range a bit.

She probably has a collection of about 3 or 4 now! Not that she's broody, just that she's hiding her location! :-D

 

[Fierlin1182]

We free range.

Getting up at 5AM to see where they've moved to now is an absolute necessity, otherwise we'd never find the eggs.

Thank heavens they're pretty happy with the current spot in the coop, or we'd be crawling through thick vegetation (it really sprouts when it rains in Australia) to fetch the eggs every day.

Once we found six eggs in a new location that we hadn't found.

 

[champer]

HaHa, I have the same problem. I found my EE's stash by listening for her egg song and locating where it was coming from, then searching in that area. I found a stash of 4 eggs in a juniper shrub. Of course now, she'll probably move to a new location. sigh

Good luck with your search!

 

[Breezy_Living]

My husband discovered this morning that she's going into the neighbor's yard (which backed horse pasture next to our land) and laying there. They just had a good laugh about it and asked if they could keep the eggs! Of course we said yes and once we get paid we'll get some more chicken wire to close off the other parts of the fence. I wish there was a way to make her want to lay in the coop again!

 

[champer]

Glad you found her nest! My EE left an egg in her nest box this morning, last place I would have looked for her's. Could you put a golf ball or fake eggs in one of the nest boxes to see if that inspires her to use the box?

 

[Breezy_Living]

Quote:
I can probably try that again. The other 2 hens are laying in the coop but I'm thinking that Hen Latifah (the BR) lays first so she leaves to go lay and then comes back to join the flock.