Crazy Hens

[JBC RANCH]

What's the deal with young hens? We have 17 BR, 14 BO, 17 RIR, and 4 CinQns. The BO's and BR's are just starting to lay. We are finding eggs everywhere, under trees, in tubs, on the sidewalk, under the roost, in the corner of the coop with 12 nesting boxes 2 ft above. Let them in my garden last week because the dang grasshopers where eating everything so might as well let the hens have at it and found a clutch of 8 eggs in one of my squash plants. The heat here in central Tx has been in the 100's and the eggs were starting to cook!!! Even have a BO that has laid twice on a wood box and our back porch. Yesterday the wife and I put up 4 more boxes so maybe that will help.

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

You can also try adding some dummy eggs to the nests. I use wooden eggs from the craft store, but some people use golf balls! They will show the hens where eggs should be laid, and they usually get the idea.

 

[JBC RANCH]

I have dummy eggs in every box and they still lay everywhere. Well, on the bright side it's Easter egg hunt every day!!