changing nest location

[rmelvin23]

One of my hens has started laying eggs under the bunny hutch. It sounds more disgusting than it is because she is under a part that no pee or poop can get too. My problem is that it was grossing me out to have my eggs that close to bunny poop. I have put up a screen barrier so that she cannot get under there again. Do you think that she will stop laying until she finds a new spot? Thanks. P.S. Chickens are pretty smart. When I stapled the screen down, one of the other ladies was trying to figure a way in. It was funny to see how her brain was working.

 

[faykokoWV]

Mine kept laying on the floor of the coop right under the roost. I put large unopened bags of pine shavings there during the day so they couldn't get to it. I also put a golf ball in the nesting box. They all layed in the nesting box the next day. I moved the bags after a week, and they are still using the nesting boxes.

 

[Andora]

My birds like to switch their laying spot once a week. I have no idea why! They will lay in the nest boxes--but only in 1 box. Then they'll start laying under the nest boxes in the corner. For a week they had a hidden nest and I finally found it in the neighbors garden inside a cabbage plant that had the head of cabbage already picked! Now they are laying behind the chick brooder. Leaving an egg in the nest box hasn't made any difference for me!

 

[cutlass1972]

my hens just started laying, and I found a little nest with 7 eggs in it. I have been keeping them locked in the coop for several days now, I was finding eggs in the coop in random locations but the last few have actually been in the nesting boxes. I am hoping that they will establish a routine and I will be able to let them resume free ranging, and still have them continue to lay in the nesting boxes.

 

[briteday]

Mine are laying all over the coop despite their beautiful nesting boxes. I'm tired of crawling under the poop board to their "secret nest" to find the eggs. And then they even have the nerve to bury the eggs in the straw!

Nothing I've done has encouraged them to lay in the nests. If I block off one spot then they don't all lay eggs the next day, and find a new spot the day after. Now that we have a roo I'm freaky about finding the eggs each day as I don't want an egg customer to find any incubated surprises in their breakfast.

 

[rmelvin23]

I wish chickens were dumb! The ladies are still trying to get under the bunny hutch. GROSS. Well, I have given it my all and hopefully the new barrier is better.