Does ya Chickens lay in randoms

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

A few times it seemed chooks wasn't laying eggs, but found em in random places like a big pile normally in some hole or ditch in ground why do they do this when they got good nest areas an coops to lay in? They lay in there most the time but sometimes do this, today found 15-16 eggs at the entrance of a unused wombat burrow.

 

[Smileybans]

Honestly I wondered the same. Recently my BO mix laid an egg in the middle of the yard under our trampoline. The only reason I noticed was because she stood there and looked at it like she was surprised it came from her.

 

[cluckcluckhens]

My hens have recently a few times over the weeks laid an egg in the run. I believe they can't wait. Sometimes ours lay eggs on the straw on the floor and other times they make a new nest of straw on the floor in a corner. This is what I have seen for over 8 years now. If an egg is not in the boxes and they are on the floor in a corner all hens follow suit and lay where all the eggs are.

 

[BDutch]

A few times it seemed chooks wasn't laying eggs, but found em in random places like a big pile normally in some hole or ditch in ground why do they do this when they got good nest areas an coops to lay in? They lay in there most the time but sometimes do this, today found 15-16 eggs at the entrance of a unused wombat burrow.

Why do chickens lay eggs?

Well nowadays they lay most eggs for the owner. But originally the chickens want to lay eggs to make a nest. With the intention to breed for chicks. Many of the chicken breeds that are less extremely bred still like to make their nest in quiet place on the ground in a hidden place. They gather eggs and after about a week - 10 days some chickens disappear to full fill their wish for breeding or wanting chicks.

It doesn’t make any difference for them if the eggs are fertilised or not. They dont have books that explain how the eggs get fertilised.

I found a couple of nests with eggs too. Especially if the chickens free range a lot this can get problematic (imho). Because one day the broody doesn’t return into the coop at night. And an outdoor nest with infertile eggs (I have no rooster) has no use at all. I always search for a lost chicken because its not healthy to breed on unfertilised eggs.

 

[Callender Girl]

One of my Easter eggers hopped the pasture fence and was stockpiling eggs in a goat house. Another favorite "wrong" place for my chickens and ducks is behind the furthest bale in the hay shed, where it's nicely dark and private.

 

[aart]

why do they do this when they got good nest areas an coops to lay in?

Because they can.
Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A few times it seemed chooks wasn't laying eggs, but found em in random places like a big pile normally in some hole or ditch in ground

Not unusual a all. Other than the molt this is probably the biggest reason we think they are not laying eggs. Their bird brains don't work the same way ours do, they use a different kind of logic. Sometimes for their own reasons they stop laying in one of our nest's and hide a nest somewhere. I can't explain why but it is common.

Recently my BO mix laid an egg in the middle of the yard under our trampoline. The only reason I noticed was because she stood there and looked at it like she was surprised it came from her.

I don't know how long your hen has been laying, but this is fairly common with pullets just starting to lay. The egg laying process is pretty complicated. That doesn't just include how they put the egg together but when and where to lay the egg. To me it is amazing how many get all of this correct right from the start.

Often about a week before she starts laying a pullet starts looking for a good place to lay the egg. When the egg is ready she goes there and lays it. But all of them don't so that. It's as if the egg shows up and she is not expecting it. She pops it out wherever she is. As long as the eggs are in random places I consider these to be oops eggs, she doesn't have control of the process. If the eggs are consistently in one place she has decided that is her nest, wherever it may be.

There are certain triggers that tell her when to release a yolk to start that egg making process so the egg will be laid during daylight. When they start out laying those triggers don't always work right. The egg may be ready at night so you may find an egg under the roosts.

Usually if they are having these issues a pullet debugs her egg laying process in a few days and gets to normal. But these start-up issues can be frustrating when they show up.

 

[Smileybans]

I don't know how long your hen has been laying, but this is fairly common with pullets just starting to lay. The egg laying process is pretty complicated. That doesn't just include how they put the egg together but when and where to lay the egg. To me it is amazing how many get all of this correct right from the start.

Often about a week before she starts laying a pullet starts looking for a good place to lay the egg. When the egg is ready she goes there and lays it. But all of them don't so that. It's as if the egg shows up and she is not expecting it. She pops it out wherever she is. As long as the eggs are in random places I consider these to be oops eggs, she doesn't have control of the process. If the eggs are consistently in one place she has decided that is her nest, wherever it may be.

There are certain triggers that tell her when to release a yolk to start that egg making process so the egg will be laid during daylight. When they start out laying those triggers don't always work right. The egg may be ready at night so you may find an egg under the roosts.

Usually if they are having these issues a pullet debugs her egg laying process in a few days and gets to normal. But these start-up issues can be frustrating when they show up.

She’s only been laying a couple months. I figured it was an accident because of the look on her face. She was really looking at the egg like “who laid this? Was it me? No way!” It was priceless. I couldn’t help but laugh at her.

I do appreciate your information though. She has been the only one of my main flock laying weird eggs and at weird times. Some days she will lay a soft shelled egg then the next she lays a fine egg. Some days no egg at all then two eggs in one day. A soft one in the morning and a hard shelled one at like 8pm. I have to keep a close eye on her because of the eggs issues she’s been having. I’m not too worried now since otherwise she’s happy and healthy.

 

[CHlCKEN]

My hen Opal just lays her eggs wherever she likes in the run, occasionally using the nest box.

 

[neo71665]

Mine lay in their boxes about 99% of the time. 4 boxes for 11 birds but as with birds only one box a day seems to be the best. Most of the time when they lay in the run its because that one box is full and she can't wait any more.