Found Eggs - Need Reassurance

[tjcib]

Yay that your chickens are laying. I would probably contain them in their coop and run for a few days so they learn to lay their eggs in nest boxes and not hide em. Although with free ranging chickens they will almost always want to hide them.

Unfortunately they are fully free range. They have a wooded quarter-acre to themselves. They have an amazing coop that I built, of course, 3 of the 6 use it....sometimes...

But we are going to start gathering them and locking them up at night just to try to develop the habit.

 

[aart]

Unfortunately they are fully free range. .....
But we are going to start gathering them and locking them up at night just to try to develop the habit.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[tjcib]

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

Follow-up:
We worked hard at getting the girls into the coop each night. That has resulted in all 6 girls laying in the nesting boxes every day for the past 3 days.

There was only a little jockeying for roosting spots, but I think we've settled that... Considering their coop is large enough for 12+ birds...

We ended up discarding about 2 dozen of the eggs. But we've since eaten the other 4 dozen, inspecting each egg separately as it was opened.

Thanks to everyone for the tips and encouragement.