Chickens laying eggs in a planter box! Not their nesting boxes-help!

[VespaGirl]

My chickens just started laying eggs. Problem is they are laying eggs in a planter and not their nesting boxes. My chickens are free range. They have a hen house-problem is only some of them will sleep in the coop. It has been a huge struggle to get them out of the tree. Including putting them in the coop and keeping them in there for days at a time. Nothing works to keep them in. Its just my leghorns.They do go in to eat but that is it. So I have given up. Short of building a complete enclosed coop they like the tree.

That being said. I just found 6 eggs in a planter near our goat pen. How can I get them to lay in the nesting boxes. Their coop is nice and has 3 nice nesting boxes. I am going to get more rice hulls and clean it out. Should I put some eggs in the clean boxes?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Get some golf balls or fake eggs for the nestboxes, yes.

Be thankful they are laying in a spot you know LOL. I would just collect them from there. Search for other nests. Other than fencing them in and putting netting on top for the flyers, you could clip wings to keep them fenced in a certain area (where you can regularly check for nests).

I don't like letting my chickens have the run of the whole place. I would never find the eggs. They have at least 3000 square feet divided in two pens now and I think it's enough. I move the fencing around if the grass gets too worn.

I still have to look for eggs under the grapevines and behind things though.

 

[VespaGirl]

Yeah-we are building a fence so they will only have half of the backyard because they have been hanging out on the patio and goat pen which I don't want. Our back yard is big but not huge by any means. So there is not too many places to hide eggs. But the fence won't be done for a month or two so I need to get them to lay in their boxes. I need to run to the feed store. The man who owns the feed store suggested hay for the hen house which is just gross. It stinks and gets too wet. Im going to go with wood shaving or something else. And I will get the fake eggs as well.