Egg laying under roost

[Tamdog]

Hi ya'll- I am stumped. I have 12 hens 4 are old and 8 have been laying for a few months. My hens have more than enough laying boxes and they use the boxes often. I worked hard to train them to only lay in the nest box by making it impossible for them to lay anywhere else- I thought it was working because they all were complying for a few months. BUT now, at least every other day I am finding that early in the morning one of them hops back under the roosting area and lays a beautiful egg in the poop. It was one certain chicken at first- but now another has started.


My nesting boxes are separate from the roosting area, and they are able to get out of the roosting area every morning because my coop is secure enough that the door is left open to the secure run. - where the nesting boxes are located, - So is is not a problem of one wanting to lay before it can get to the nest.

This set up has worked for nigh on 2 decades. I am not a beginner at this.. and I have tried going under the roost and putting some "roll wire" under so they can get up on the roost at night- but not really feel comfortable getting under it and laying under... yet now, they are finding little spots to still squeeze in and lay ( because good grief I had to leave a bit of room for them to walk in and climb up. )

I have tried going down early and shutting the door to the roost to prevent one from going back in but that ends up being a disaster because I have to remember to go open the door before Dark so they can roost,

Anyone have ideas on how to make them real uncomfortable going back in to lay? I hate to spend money on an automatic door opener just for that one problem.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Put wood chips, twigs, or an uncomfortable bedding under the perches

 

[Tamdog]

Put wood chips, twigs, or an uncomfortable bedding under the perches

Good idea.. I am using wire rolls - in the back area... but the trouble now was the "walking" area...You may have something there with using twigs, maybe I will lay a bunch of branches in the walking area so they can successfully hop on them to get to the roost- but would make for a very uncomfortable nest.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I was expecting you to be a rookie and these to be pullets just starting to lay. That's a different situation, doesn't sound like your issue. The way I handle this situation is to wait until they are on the nest laying and then lock them in a real nest that I want them to use. I made a couple of my nests so I could lock a chicken in there if I needed to, that has come in handy a few different times. I leave her locked in the nest until she lays the egg, usually about a half hour. I did have one hen take three hours. Usually I only have to do that once to retrain them. One time I had to do a hen twice this way to get her attention.

 

[Tamdog]

I was expecting you to be a rookie and these to be pullets just starting to lay. That's a different situation, doesn't sound like your issue. The way I handle this situation is to wait until they are on the nest laying and then lock them in a real nest that I want them to use. I made a couple of my nests so I could lock a chicken in there if I needed to, that has come in handy a few different times. I leave her locked in the nest until she lays the egg, usually about a half hour. I did have one hen take three hours. Usually I only have to do that once to retrain them. One time I had to do a hen twice this way to get her attention.

Thank you Ridgerunner, No you are right I am not a rookie, and this one stumped me because I am usually very good at forcing them to lay where I want them to. I built some "roll away" boxes to insure my eggs are always clean, and that they can not peck at them because years ago I had trouble with that. ( I am a mean chicken lady landlord) With this new batch I have this year I have worked hard cutting them off from any other laying areas. I thought I was successful- but seems like a few of them are more stubborn than any I have had. I will try the stalking & locking ' em in method!

 

[aart]

Any chance of pests in the nests?

 

[Tamdog]

Any chance of pests in the nests?

HUM, ...Now there is a good question. I have 9 boxes, and I cleaned them a month or so ago- BUT> I am using low pile outdoor carpet in them and they may have gotten some bugs in some of the fabric.. I have been noticing that one of the chickens was pecking at their feathers the other day as if it -might- have mites, - It has been very rainy this week - and I have been thinking they need dry sand box ( I got rid of the dry sandy spot 5 months ago when they were young because that is where they wanted to lay) Maybe it is time to re-introduce some sand with some DE) .... Need to do that even if it is NOT the problem this time,

 

[aart]

Maybe it is time to re-introduce some sand with some DE

I'd not count on DE, if you find bugs.

Yo probably know all this but.....
Check them over real well for mites and/or lice.

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[Tamdog]

I'd not count on DE, if you find bugs.

Yo probably know all this but.....
Check them over real well for mites and/or lice.

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

Ugg, Thanks, you know, as strange as it sounds I have owned Chickens for decades and never checked them for mites or lice, But they have a really large roaming area so maybe they have never had them. But there is always a FIRST! - And in truth I have been wondering lately if they do. We just completely overhauled our night roosting area and painted and put in new roosting boards so I hope that we will not find anything, but I will make sure I go out tonight and look. - This is probably a good routine to do no matter what the current issues are. LOL The reason we overhauled the roost is that for all these years I did not realize they need room to fly off- I just thought all the banging around was normal - This year I read that they need extra room because they prefer to fly off and not go down ladders. ( How did I miss that all these years, ?? oh wait, it was because I was busy working with troubled teens and volunteering and being a chaplain and going to school myself and helping with the family business.. and raising kids- now that I am old I have time to notice what the chickens are doing.. ) Our roost was a 25 foot x 7 foot with the pole all the way down long ways. We tore it down and placed several shorter ladder like roost poles/boards on the two ends so they can fly the whole 25 foot to get down. It stopped a lot of fights that they use to have all trying to get on one pole with no one wanting to move over, and the new setup made it easier to clean! The hens that were dominate found a place to roost on top ladder.. leaving a lot of room for the underlings.