Free Range and needing eggs

[honeynajar]

I have a flock of 8 layers with 3 in production right now, the rest are too young. I had not been free-ranging at all due to the fear of predators. When it got so hot, I decided to let them free at noon til dusk. Then one day a few got out when I went in first thing in the am. Since then they were free ranging all day - about 2 weeks. The three layers had been using the coop for their egg laying duties just fine. Until yesterday when only 1 egg was in the coop. Is there anything I can do other than restricting their free ranging possiblities to encourage them to lay in the coop and not in the woods or under some shrubs in the yard? Thanks!

 

[chickenbythesea]

no... ya pretty much have to leave them in to teach them to lay in the coop. The other thing is to keep them in until they've laid and then let them out afterwards, otherwise they'll lay wherever.

 

[jtbrown]

If it was only one day, they may have had an off day all at once, I would think it may ramp back up again soon.

 

[HandLoad]

Almost the same story here - Have Just Found a Small egg in the House! Then a Larger Double Yolker! Then three days, Nothing! Today, another Lil Egg (First Egg). If you have wondered about the Earthquake? in the last couple days, it was probably me, Doing My Happy Eggs! Dance...

My question is - Are My Girls laying eggs elsewhere, or is it kinda sporadic for a while at the beginning? Should I go looking under the Camper, where they often hang out? Under the Front Stairs, same thing?

They are NOT Using the Nesting Boxes, just the Floor of the Henhouse, that they Roost On Top of every Night.

So, with the Three Eggs so far, My costs have come down to Only $300 per Egg! Yaaay!

 

[devora]

Make sure the boxes are inviting: clean w/ good bedding, deep, dark. Put in a fake egg. Lock them in the coop until early/mid-afternoon at the least. The earlier they get out the less chance of teaching them where to properly lay.

And remember, after all of this they will conspire to annoy you by laying under some bush or tree.

 

[honeynajar]

Only one of mine uses the nesting boxes and only sporadically. It has fresh straw in it - I've been thinking of putting up some type of curtains to make them more inviting.... the other two use a corner of the coop but at least its the same corner.