found a huge nest outside! Help!

[greytmommy]

my OEGB is laying outside. Found a nest of 18 eggs!!!

ok, here are the specs:

she is low girl on the totum pole
she was laying in the boxes but now she is not
2 of my other hens went broody and mothered some chicks...so they have been pushier than usual.

suggestions?

also, how many hens per nesting box? I ended up with more chicks this year than I ment too, so I worry now that I won't have enough nesting boxes.

 

[tuckertori]

Last year two of my girls decided to lay outside for a while. Luckily, I discovered early on. When fall came and their nesting area lost the leaves around it, they went back to the nesting boxes. Many hens can share one box. Sometimes, even 2 will share a box at the same time!

 

[Fierlin1182]

To be honest, hens will pretty much just lay where they want. I've tried several times to get my chickens to lay back in the coop, but they always revert outside again eventually.You could try shutting the chickens into the coop in the morning, but if they're all free ranging that could be tricky.

As for how many hens per nest box, all four of mine used to use the same nest box and my neighbours' nine hens all lay in the same place. I don't think you should have an issue.