Do most/all layers, who are allowed to free range, eventually relapse to egg-hiding?

[sophiehatter1057]

I got some very helpful suggestions last week for curbing nest hiding, and have been able to make necessary arrangements to keep my layers confined and close to nesting boxes at all times. We're almost a week into training and all (who are currently at point of lay) are laying consistently in the boxes.

My question is: if I let them return to foraging all over the yard (after nesting box habits are well established) will they eventually go back to egg hiding in various places? If so, how soon does that behaviour typically pop up again?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have only had egg-hiding be an issue when I had a free range chicken trying to brood. Currently my free range flock lays in their nesting box or in a trough in the barn. It’s possible they’re hiding something somewhere I haven’t found but they lay different colored eggs so I’m fairly confident they are laying in those two places only.

 

[Mrs. K]

Not now, if you are like me headed into winter. Next spring, a very high probability. Not just with free ranging flocks either. Sometime a nest can be hidden in plain sight!

Any time you get a sudden egg count drop - almost always it is a hidden nest.

Mrs K

 

[sophiehatter1057]

Not now, if you are like me headed into winter. Next spring, a very high probability. Not just with free ranging flocks either. Sometime a nest can be hidden in plain sight!

Any time you get a sudden egg count drop - almost always it is a hidden nest.

Mrs K

Thank you! Do you re-train yours frequently?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi! We have an 8 x 10 walk-in coop with multiple nests and a very large fenced run for an average of 20 hens that we keep the girls in most of the day. They also free-range on about 3 of our 10 acres for part of the day, usually from about noon on. There are times, as @Mrs. K said, that it seems we don't get as many eggs as we should. When that happens we confine them to the run for about a week to 10 days and usually the egg count rises, which tells us some of the hens have been "laying out." This reminds them of their responsibilities and we don't usually have to do it again for several months.

 

[sophiehatter1057]

Hi! We have an 8 x 10 walk-in coop with multiple nests and a very large fenced run for an average of 20 hens that we keep the girls in most of the day. They also free-range on about 3 of our 10 acres for part of the day, usually from about noon on. There are times, as @Mrs. K said, that it seems we don't get as many eggs as we should. When that happens we confine them to the run for about a week to 10 days and usually the egg count rises, which tells us some of the hens have been "laying out." This reminds them of their responsibilities and we don't usually have to do it again for several months.

Thank you!

 

[TooCheep]

For what it's worth, I've only had a few eggs laid outside of the coop in my 7 years and mine free range all day. The one thing I did do is add more nests to minimize nest-box conflict. I don't like the BYC standard recommendation of 4 layers/box as it created too much drama.

 

[sophiehatter1057]

For what it's worth, I've only had a few eggs laid outside of the coop in my 7 years and mine free range all day. The one thing I did do is add more nests to minimize nest-box conflict. I don't like the BYC standard recommendation of 4 layers/box as it created too much drama.

What's your ideal ratio?

 

[LaurenRitz]

My birds free range dawn to dusk. I am currently getting apx 3 eggs per day from 15 laying age hens. Not sure where they're hiding them, yet.

In my experience, a shift to laying outside the coop often occurs because of something changing in the coop, something they see as a risk. Most recently it has been the neighbor's dogs. Last spring it was a snake that took up residence in the nesting boxes.

Dinner, delivered right to your door!

It might be so simple as a hen that sees you collecting eggs.

Once they choose another spot they don't go back easily. I'm going to keep them in the coop a little later in the day and see if that makes a difference.

 

[sophiehatter1057]

My birds free range dawn to dusk. I am currently getting apx 3 eggs per day from 15 laying age hens. Not sure where they're hiding them, yet.

In my experience, a shift to laying outside the coop often occurs because of something changing in the coop, something they see as a risk. Most recently it has been the neighbor's dogs. Last spring it was a snake that took up residence in the nesting boxes.

Dinner, delivered right to your door!

It might be so simple as a hen that sees you collecting eggs.

Once they choose another spot they don't go back easily. I'm going to keep them in the coop a little later in the day and see if that makes a difference.

So should egg collection be done without the chickens seeing?