My initial answer would probably have been no, but having owned them for a couple of years, I would say yes now. I wish Lucy and Chickie would stop laying and just be pets.
I have a question for you Shad; as all your tribes free-range, do you ever collect eggs for consumption?
I do collect the eggs for consumption. I also collect them as less invasive flock control and hen safety. They make nest in some what seems to me suicidal places. After a few years you get to be better able to judge what is a good nest and what isn't.
This was a good nest and was a well protected site. I didn't let her sit though.
Other things things that are good about this nest are, not too many eggs. Good indentation in the ground. All the eggs are touching another egg. The nest is such that the hen can sit in any compass position. It was also quite hard to find despite having followed the hen on two occasions.
This is a terrible nest but in the most secure location here; my house. I didn't let her sit.
I have a different base for when I'm considering letting the hen sit and hatch. She has zero egg control in this nest and would probably end up with leg strain.
However, every hen in Tribe 1 wants to sit in this nest box and a couple from tribe 3 as well. I thought initially that it was because of the nests security but what I believe has happened is once a nest site like this has produced chicks; they all know, then this is a major attraction. More or less the hens have realized that if you sit here you are likely to live and hatch some chicks.
This is an okay nest. The hen is restricted in sitting position and eventually some of those eggs will get pushed against the wall. There are too many eggs there. The security is very good unless it's a senior hen problem. I split the nest.
These eggs are not going to stay touching each other for very long. The nest hollow is too large/shallow
So, the above is the main reason I collect the eggs. They lay far more than I can eat and I can use these eggs to switch a broody hen off for a few weeks.
Most lay eggs in one of the coops now. Pullets in particular have an annoying tendency to lay in other tribes coops. It's not a good idea and the senior hen of that coop soon makes this abundantly clear.
No question of her going anywhere just because she isn't laying.
