Egg laying while free ranging

[Kgaff]

Hello all! I have a nice chicken coop for my flock of 7 hens and 1 rooster but I let them out to free range in our yard during the afternoon and evenings I am home. Yesterday afternoon, I went out to check on them and couldn't find my leghorn and my rooster. After searching for a bit, the rooster popped out from behind the shed. I searched behind the shed and nestled underneath some metal roofing was my leghorn. I shooed her out and underneath was her first egg. Should I leave the flock in their run and coop for now so they can get used to going in their nesting boxes?

 

[hysop]

Hello all! I have a nice chicken coop for my flock of 7 hens and 1 rooster but I let them out to free range in our yard during the afternoon and evenings I am home. Yesterday afternoon, I went out to check on them and couldn't find my leghorn and my rooster. After searching for a bit, the rooster popped out from behind the shed. I searched behind the shed and nestled underneath some metal roofing was my leghorn. I shooed her out and underneath was her first egg. Should I leave the flock in their run and coop for now so they can get used to going in their nesting boxes?

Yes! Leave them secured in their run & coop for a few days so they establish that that’s where they should lay eggs. In their nesting boxes.

From time to time you will have to secure them for days at a time to retrain them to lay in their boxes.