Free range chickens laying everywhere and eating them!

[kjames603]

My free range chickens are 19 weeks and have started laying a little bit. First one was in the run of the coop and was a soft shelled egg. They ate it. Found another one under out trampoline. It was small but hard shelled. They ate it. Found the last one along our fence line that was hard and small. They ate that one too!!! I found one of the girls in the nesting box yesterday rearranging it and stuff. How can I get them to lay in the nesting boxes (they have the fake eggs in them) and to NOT eat them? Thank you!! I don't mind them laying around the yard as long as they don't eat them. I want to eat them!! haha!

 

[Pork Pie]

You can try keeping them in the coop until they have layed, but to be honest, when pullets first begin to lay, they can pop out anywhere and at anytime. Hopefully they will not eat eggs layed in the nest boxes, which is something that should come with time.

 

[Patinas]

I'm new to this but here's my two cents worth.

During the period they are new layers, keep them in the coop longer during the day and let them out later in the afternoon. Keeping them in will help them learn to use the nest boxes.

If you can catch one trying to lay and it's not in a nest box, put it in there. I had to do this with my first layer and now she uses the boxes. She even runs to the coop to lay if she is out free ranging. Others, getting close to laying, watch her and they are now very interested in the nest boxes.

I used to let mine out at around 10AM but now I wait until around 2-4PM to range. I'm doing this specifically for two reasons: 1. I want them to eat their feed 2. I want them to learn to lay in the coop. So far, seems to be working.

I am sure that if I have a hen laying somewhere in the yard and the others find the egg, curiosity alone would probably cause them to taste the egg. When mine are foraging they taste everything!

Hope this helps!

 

[chickens really]

Keep them in the run for the next week or so...Limit free range time..They should then use the nest boxes and will consume more of the proper diet needed to produce good eggs..put out oyster shell in a separate bowl....

 

[GC-Raptor]

I keep my 5 girls in their 500 square foot pen till 2 hours before sunset. So at this time of year, I don't let them out till 6:30.
But if your run/pen/coop are small. Then try keeping them in till 10:00 or 12:00 if necessary. GC

 

[centrarchid]

Something is not as it seems. If the free-range forage is worth a crap, then the birds should be in good nutritional status. Is it possible something is getting eggs and moving them, especially at night?

 

[junebuggena]

Confine them to the run till they are using the nesting boxes consistently. Make sure they are getting enough protein, don't switch them to layer feed too soon. Their maturing systems need the higher protein content of starter or grower, now more than ever. Shell-less eggs are pretty common for new layers. It can take several weeks for all the parts of the egg production system to start working in a coordinated manner. Eggs that are laid in random places are also pretty normal. I compare it to going into labor and not even knowing you were pregnant. It takes them some time to figure out what is going on with their bodies and learn to control their laying. It's also normal for them to eat shell-less eggs and eggs that get cracked due to being laid in a less-than-ideal location.

 

[aart]

I compare it to going into labor and not even knowing you were pregnant.

This made me about spew mouthful of coffee!!!
Probably more akin to potty training than gestation and childbirth, but !!!

 

[chickens really]

This made me about spew mouthful of coffee!!!
Probably more akin to potty training than gestation and childbirth, but !!!

............

 

[kjames603]

It worked!!! Got my first egg today!!!! And she's a beauty! Now we are all fighting over who gets to eat it! Thanks everyone!!