Every day is Easter in the barn!

[mskursh]

Hello all,
Have used this site as a manual for the past year as we started our chicken adventure last spring.
We have 11 american game hens and 1 rooster. Their pen is in the barn they started laying in the winter as I set up a timed light for them. Every egg was laid in their roosting boxes all winter. well we are into their first spring and summer laying and we let them roam the property. they have started laying anywhere and everywhere in the barn. There are times when I'm only finding 2 or 3 and then a week later I find a pile of a dozen or more eggs. I've counted about a dozen spots they will lay them. All I assume an attempt to get me to stop taking them!
I'm about to go put a handful of golfballs in their roosting boxes and see if that will encourage them to lay them in there from now on. The kids won't accidentally collect the golf balls.
Is this a valid plan or have I started something I won't be able to control. My fear is they'll start laying in the various brush areas of the property that they already love to dig around in if I don't reign this in.
Will golf balls work or do I need to get real fake eggs. I guess it doesn't hurt to try.
My wife was the mastermind behind getting chickens. But I've turned into their caretaker and while at first it was met with grumbles, I now love the hens, and the rooster and I are a team seeing as though every other human and animal on the property (kids dogs and cats)
Thanks for any help reigning in the laying habits of my girls.

 

[GitaBooks]

My chickens do the same thing!
When my hens decide to move a nest, I'll just find it one day, full of old eggs. I have to toss these, but then I know where the nest is and memorize it. However, taking all the eggs can stop them from wanting to lay there. I would suggest putting some golf balls in their hidden nests, so they think their eggs are still there. Most people say golf balls work, I mark real eggs I find and then toss them out when the chickens start using the nest, but most people don't use this method as it can get messy.

Best of luck with your flock!