Ok. Had 12 hens in a coop together with 1 rooster. They lay 2 or 3 a day. Some are more ready than others I guess. They are almost 19wks Tue/Yesterday we attempted to add 2 (17wk) old BO's and 1 (17wk) old EE into the clan. Did NOT go well. After 18 hours(one evening and then overnight into the morning Wed), one chicken with a bleeding earlobe and constant fights, we removed the three around 5pm yesterday. But yesterday, the day that the original 12 were there with the 3 new girls...we got FIVE eggs instead of the usual 2. Coincidence? Today, the 12 girls coop laid the same 3 as always. The BO and EE were moved back to the teenager coop where I have never found an egg. Will they lay regardless? I mean I assume that they can't just hold it in because there are no nestboxes or other desirable places to lay in that coop (it's not meant for hens, just pullets) I want to get them back in the big coop for good this week but until I find a way to blend them, should I add a nestbox to the little coop just incase? I mean age wise they COULD have been the ones to lay yesterday. They did hide in a nestbox a lot yesterday from the hens.
It couldn't hurt if you have a 5 gallon bucket lying around or a plastic milk crate put it on its side with some bedding and they will use it if they are laying. I used a 5 gallon bucket in my temporary coop and just put it up against a wall and and cinder block on the other side to keep it from rolling while they were using it.
