Free range chickens and eggs

[dobermannlady]

My hens free range during the day and are locked in the coop at night. They haven't started laying yet, but, when they do, will I have to keep them confined for them to lay in their nest boxes? I don't really want to hunt over the 5 acres to find my eggs.

Thanks for any info.


Linda

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Hey it's fun easter egg every day or you have a hen show up with bunch chicks

 

[gritsar]

Hi Linda and welcome to BYC!
If they hens are used to the coop, they usually will come back to their nestboxes to lay.
If your egg count is good and then suddenly drops off, you might have to start an easter egg hunt. If you find any eggs on your hunt, then it would be time to lock them in again for a few days to re-train their brains.
Once or twice my daily egg count has dropped drastically, so I've locked them in for a day or two to see what's up. The egg count doesn't go back up, so I know it's not hidden eggs, but another reason. Like right now my chickens are molting.

 

[dobermannlady]

Thanks, everybody, for the info. They are very familiar with their coop, going in when it rains, to get a snack, etc. so hopefully I won't have to go on a hunt when they start to lay.

Thank you for the welcome also. I look forward to lots of fun and advice.


Linda

 

[txchickie]

Half my flock (my older girls) always return to the coop to lay. My younger girls that are just starting to lay, well........it can be interesting

A few follow the older girls back to the coop to the nestboxes, one lays on a pile of shop rags on my DH's workbench in the barn, one lays in a dog kennel that I put shavings in for her, one lays in a dustbathing hole under the back porch.....get the picture here?

They don't roam too far and have been fairly consistent in where they each choose to lay, so I just check those spots a few times a day and we've been fine so far. There's not many hiding places for them around here, so their options are limited! It's like an easter egg hunt every day

 

[cmom]

You may want to put golf balls or fake eggs in the nest boxes. In the beginning I found some eggs on the ground but now everyone lays in the nest boxes.