Eggs Eggs EVERYWHERE....but where they're supposed to be?!?!?

[foxygirlchickens]

My lovely ladies have recently started laying eggs. They've been at it for a week now. I am finding them EVERYWHERE but where they SHOULD be. I find SOME in the nesting boxes...but I'm finding a lot in the yard, flower beds, middle of the coop etc. I'm totally picturing them just dropping eggs wherever they are. Will they "get it" and start doing it where they're supposed to or should I lock em up tight until they figure it out? I'm totally confused by this. ha!

 

[gryeyes]

Put some fake eggs (golf balls work, too) into the nest boxes. Leave 'em there. It will tend to help the girls realize that's where 'somebody' else has found a good spot to lay eggs.

But early layers do have to get their bits in order to anticipate when they are actually gonna lay an egg. Right now it's sort of "WHOA! THAT was odd!"

 

[oldchickenlady]

I would lock them up a day or two in the coop and see if that helps. Do you have some fake eggs in the nest boxes? It may be that some hens have figured it out and some haven't -or- your hens will use the nests when they are close and convenient and won't when it is too much trouble to go back to the coop...I don't know, but the first step I think is to keep them with the nests for a day or so.

 

[foxygirlchickens]

Thanx for the tips...I'll give em a try!

 

[[email protected]]

Let me know, my chickens are doing the same thing, and after DH put them in the coop 7, yes 7 times! I have had the golf ball in the thingy, and so far, so help, think we are going to have to lock them in... jenn

 

[pgpoultry]

Well, I have tried every trick in the book and my free rangers still lay just about everywhere.

I would suggest as others do that you keep them in the coop a bit longer in the morning, and then watch where they go when they come out (May need more than one person). If one heads behind a fence, into undergrowth etc, check this area after a while. If you find an egg, replace it with a golf ball or fake egg. The hen is likely to continue to use this spot,

Good Luck,

Sandie