Egg laying question, may sound stupid................................

[naturegirl]

I let my chickens free range during the day, Will they lay eggs outside of the coop?? I just found my first egg and I don't want to miss any!!

 

[ducks4you]

Yes! ...and, they'll rot if your don't find them. Good hunting!

 

[chickenbottom]

congrats on the first egg and sometimes they will. you might want to either put golf balls in the nesting boxes or if you have a problem with them laying else where lock them in for a few days to establish that this where i lay my eggs.

 

[thechickenchick]

It definitely isn't a stupid question! If they just started laying they may lay somewhere besides the nest at first. Mine are mostly in an enclosed run. I have found several eggs hidden in the corners where they have dug holes to dust bathe in. They will eventually get the hang of it though. Place a golf ball or wooden egg in their nest to give them the right idea. Good luck!

 

[Pennyhen]

I free range my flock and they have 6 different places they lay, I found that setting up nice little nesting boxes helps, they use them. It took me a month to figure out all the places. and when one seems to "disappear" then mysteriously returns periodically, she is probably broody and has a clutch of eggs stashed in the yard somewhere...

have good, be fun

Pennyhen

 

[naturegirl]

Thanks everyone, I guess We'll have an egg hunt then, It will be like easter in August. I'll have the kids help, they will just love that!!

 

[rancher hicks]

What I learned to do is put fake eggs in your nest boxes. Just make sure you can tell the difference, cause fake eggs take a long time to cook.

You can tell when they're getting ready to lay an egg cause they act funny. Kinda like a women giving birth how she starts nesting. When she (the hen not the woman) starts sitting and picking up pieces of grass/straw and surrounding herself you'll know.

Some also make a chirping sound or screaming (hens and women). First they chirp then they scream. (hens and women). My wife screams so much I just never know if she's giving birth or not. Our third child was born in the back seat of the car. Maybe it would help if she chirped first.

You might try putting them (the hen not the women) in the nest and show them the egg. Well I suppose you could show the women too, but I don't think you want women giving birth in your nest boxes. Of course they'd have to be big nest boxes.

I had a bantam cochin sitting on a wooden goose sized egg. That's how I knew she was broody. I always wondered where those "little" wooden eggs came from. I can't wait till it hatches.

 

[ColoradoMike]

 

[naturegirl]

I agree, Great post

! I had some golf balls in the nesting boxes, but I found some rocks at the beach that look like eggs so I put them in the nest. I have shown the girls the nesting boxes, but no one is interested. My first egg was found on the floor of the coop right under the nesting boxes, so It was real close.

 

[ducks4you]

RE: golf balls...NOT being a golfer, I have talked to them and they routinely discard year old golf balls because they have lost their bounce. Sooooo...talk a golfer and you can get your golf balls for free.
(Notice how I carefully wrote this so as NOT to put a "double entendre" connection in your head.)