free range chickens - do i need to lock them in the coop/ run as they get close to laying age so tha

[saildog]

I was told by a fellow chicken person that I should lock the chickens in the coop and run as they are now close to egg laying age so that when they start laying they use the nest boxes in the coop. I let them free range from dawn til dusk when they put themselves in for the night and I l drop the chicken door and close the door to the run.

He alerted me that they will lay eggs in the woods where they free range and also that wherever they first start to lay is where they will continue to lay so if it is in the woods I may not even know when they start. Is this true? They are about 5 and 1/2 months old and I have 22 hens and 2 roosters. Also will 6 egg boxes be enough, I understand they tend to share them.

 

[Den in Penn]

They will definitely find places to lay you don't want them to if they aren't trained. Confining the with limited options is the best way I know of. Yes if all you do is look for eggs is in the nest boxes and they lay in the woods it may take a while for you to know. The most used number of birds per box is four. So 4 hens x 6 boxes is 24 hens. And they will use a favorite box more.

 

[heybarb]

We don't have a run, just a coop and our 9 girls / 2 roosters free range all day too. I was worried, but my big girls - white leghorns - started laying first and they put their eggs in the nest boxes. They are also my "top" girls, so the others all followed their lead and put their eggs in the nest boxes - or atleast that's what I thought until one OEGB disappeared. Within a few days another OEG was broody on a nest in a nest box. A day later, the 3rd OEGB was broody too - in a nest box. It seems that the 1st OEGB is not missing, but broody on a hidden nest under an old building. I'm pretty sure she never laid eggs in my nest boxes - which means she's sitting on about 2 weeks of eggs...UGH! So, if you have the opportunity to keep them in a run for a few days, then I would definitely DO THAT!!