Eggs going missing?

[aart]

three of which started laying a week ago

A few weeks ago.

So before they started laying?....I'd lock em up again, unless you enjoy the 'egg hunt'.

 

[jp57]

My girls have been laying in the nesting boxes in the coop consistently for over a year. I have 2 new hens that after getting adjusted to the group, sleep in one of the nesting boxes. Now, none of the other girls will use it. They lay eggs all over the place now. Any way to retrain them other than leaving them locked up? I have close to six acres, and it is an old farm with multiple out buildings so egg searching has become a daily chore.

 

[imnukensc]

They lay eggs all over the place now. Any way to retrain them other than leaving them locked up?

Not that I'm aware of. Try to keep the new girls from sleeping in the nest boxes and lock'em up again for a few days.

 

[jp57]

Every time I close them in at night, the new ones are cuddled together in the same nesting box. I've tried moving them, but when I come back out and check on them, they are back in the same nesting box. I put a shoe box in the nesting box to discourage them from sleeping there, but they just slept in the next one. Since I was planning on them free ranging most of the time, my run isn't big enough for all 8 of them to be locked inside for days. I did keep them in the locked up yesterday until noon. Found 2 eggs inside the coop, found another 2 inside the coop in the afternoon. It seemed to stress them out not being let loose so I'm surprised there were any eggs when I let them out. I think I would rather hunt for eggs than have to listen to them crying to be let out all morning.