after three weeks of chicken training, thanks for all the support, the girls are laying their eggs in the basket, not all over the run. the girl we called "stupid chicken" was the one to insist on the box and everyone followed her lead, good ole buff! she is also the low member of the flock, does not come when called and hates being petted. but she lays an egg a day. now they even run back to the coop in the afternoon to use the basket. the first day I found three eggs in the basket side by side I was soo thrilled. big buff was the last one to start and she managed to hide one behind the straw bale, but now marches in the coop in the afternoon. so what worked? no free ranging until after 3pm, then only for one hour. ignoring screaming fits about lack of free ranging, increasing ostyer shell to a big scoop a day and more grit in pen. calmed everyone down. giving lots of corn and greens during the day. trying to get rid of any place in the run that look ed like a nice nest, destroying nest behind door etc... trying lots of baskets, covered kitty pan, leaving little buffs egg in the basket for a few hours possible that really did the trick of showing everyone where to lay, and she is the first layer of the day. what did not work? logic, and lectures. plastic eggs or golf balls or small teniis balls. chickens threw those across the coop. so its now three weeks and all is well, 4 eggs a day! and three eggs the next day! eggs everywhere, !( now that the sheltie can't sneak in the pen during the day and eat some!, thats another storey) thnaks everyone for listening to my whines
What a great feeling when they "learn" where to lay. Way to go chickies!! You got it all under controll now! Well, at least untill they decide....they dont want to go in at night....or roost on the roost you built...or they want to sleep IN the nest box..LOL Seems just when I think I have it all under controll....some of them want to show me....THEY are in control! LOL
I'm going to have to try something soon, we've only had two eggs, both by the same hen and both dropped in the run. I have a nest box, only one but it has a golf ball in it, and they just hop in there to dig around a little. I am going grocery shopping today and I'm going to try look for those plastic stacking bin things and I will use those as extra nest boxes. Congratulations!
Sometimes it takes a while for the young ones to learn...especially when there are no "adults" to show them. Congratulations Sandra
three eggs in basket, then three eggs, no number 4 egg for two days. big buffy must be holding out, must lock her up in the afternoon. lots of sun today, strange for oregon in november, so they got play time from 12 to 4 pm. cold tonight, high thirties is my guess.