chickens laying under their coop instead of inside in their nest box

[wantplum]

my chickens just started to lay under their chicken coop. their chicken coop is about 3 feet off the ground. they are free range chickens. how do i get them to start to lay in their nesting boxs again. they have plenty of nesting boxs i have 10 chickens (5 full size and 5 smaller breeds) and 8 nestingboxs so i don't think that is the issue. I have had these chickens a while and they just started to to this. All suggestions welcomed. ALso I think that i have a chicken that may be eating eggs found a two broken eggs today. HAve added calcium to food. any suggestions for that also.
thanks becky

 

[cterbizan]

I would try to put the golf balls in there nesting box , the ceramic eggs, or put their eggs in the nesting box and keep them there for about a week should do it. If you think one of them are eating the eggs i would probably keep and eye out I have not had any experiance in that so maybe someone else could let you know.

 

[chicmom]

What is the climate there? Maybe it's very hot in the coop where they nest........

 

[ranchhand]

Hi,

Check your nestbox area carefully for anything that might be scaring them. I found a snake living under mine several years ago.
It might also be cooler under the coop, I know they prefer the dirt when we get a heat wave here.

They broken shells could be from lack of calcium, or they could be dropping them on a harder surface.

Good luck, it's a pain crawling under a coop for eggs, I use a rake to pull them out.

 

[teach1rusl]

If you're having temps like many of us are, it may just be a heat issue. Stick a thermometer out there tomorrow (in the nest box) and see what it reads. I'm guessing this because they have been laying in the nest box and started this just recently, and this heat wave has been fairly recent...