Don't lay there!

[adreilly]

I have 5 girls that are from April 2016. Until this past April all of them layed daily in a bucket on the floor of the coop(rather than the best boxes hanging 2 feet above said bucket). Since one went broody and hatched my April 2017 flock only 2-3 have been laying and they are doing it on the poop board under the roost! How can I get them to the nest boxes or at least the bucket again before the newbies start laying? I've tried fake eggs, leaving their eggs a few days, and they just kick the eggs out. Also, any reason a hen wouldn't lay suddenly and not act broody or ill? I've looked for hidden eggs and egg eating and see no signs. Thanks!

 

[User395221]

I really don't know, but I've recently observed that my girls weren't laying where I wanted them to and moving their "stuff" about got them into the nest box.

At first, I put the nest box along the wall, but nobody would go inside. I then turned it so it was facing the door and they would lay eggs on the floor behind it (while my 2 new chooks took over one box as their bed...). I then moved it back over where they had been laying on the floor so that there was no longer any room behind it. Eureka. They started laying in the box. For some reason, they wanted to lay in that spot and putting the box there got them into the box.

I'm not sure that this will be of much use in getting them off the poop board, but is there anything in the way that the poop board is oriented that might give you a clue as to what they want? Would it be a big job swapping the position of the roost and the nest boxes?

 

[adreilly]

I will have to try and be more present and see what's going on during the laying hours. It could simply be one of the newbies hanging out in the way. They tend to spend time inside the coop during the day. Unfortunately I can't reconfigure the coop design as the nest boxes were built in.

I really don't know, but I've recently observed that my girls weren't laying where I wanted them to and moving their "stuff" about got them into the nest box.

At first, I put the nest box along the wall, but nobody would go inside. I then turned it so it was facing the door and they would lay eggs on the floor behind it (while my 2 new chooks took over one box as their bed...). I then moved it back over where they had been laying on the floor so that there was no longer any room behind it. Eureka. They started laying in the box. For some reason, they wanted to lay in that spot and putting the box there got them into the box.

I'm not sure that this will be of much use in getting them off the poop board, but is there anything in the way that the poop board is oriented that might give you a clue as to what they want? Would it be a big job swapping the position of the roost and the nest boxes?

 

[User395221]

Can you block the poop board so they can't use it?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can you post photos of your set-up? That might give us a clue.

I'm not sure where you are located. You might modify your profile to show your general location. That can sometimes help with many different questions. Many people north of the equator are already seeing the molt with some hens. That's the most common reason hens stop laying. Have you noticed extra feathers laying around? The second most common is a hidden nest, which you are looking for. Sometimes in extreme weather, hot or cold, they cut back laying.

You mentioned they kick the eggs out of the nest. How high is your lip? I've solved that problem by raising the lip on the nest.

Chickens are creatures of habit. I don't know what caused them to move to the poop board, probably something to do with that broody hatch. But since they are in the habit of laying up there you need to do something. Can you put an acceptable nest where they are laying and see if they will use that? That's probably not easy.

I built some of my nests so I can lock a hen in there if I want to. That's come in handy a few times for different reasons. When I have a hen laying where I don't want her to, I make it a point to try to catch her on that bad nest. When I do, I lock her in the real nest until she has laid the egg. That normally takes a half hour but I had one that took three hours. Usually I only have to do that once and she learns though some I have to repeat.

Having two laying there might make that rougher. They like to lay where there are other eggs. If the other hen lays on that poop board that might encourage the other hen to continue laying there.

Something I haven't tried but some people on here said it worked for them. Put a portable nest where they are laying, maybe just a cardboard box with bedding, and get them used to laying in that nest. The every two or three days move that nest a bit closer to where you want them to lay. Eventually they are laying in an acceptable place or, if you move them right next to your nest, you take the temporary nest away and hope they switch to your real nests. At least you don't have to be around when they are laying to try this method.