Free ranging new layers?

[BuffOrp82]

Hey all,

Have 8 hens and two of them just started laying yesterday .. today found one egg in the coop when I went out to check on them, I let them out to free range and a couple hours later my other hen started singing the egg song in the woods behind my barn .. I looked but couldn't find the egg .. They have free access to the coop/run while free ranging but she obviously chose not to lay there today

Should I keep them in the coop/run until they figure out what the nesting boxes are for or will they figure it out?

Hopefully I'm not going to have to go on an egg hunt everyday..

 

[Stiggy]

when hens start to lay for the first time it can happen unexpectedly, and they will go where ever when they need to ( ive found eggs by the water container, in the bath etc) so its to be expected, you can get some fake eggs, rubber/ ceramic or sometimes golf balls work as well, and put them where you want them to lay. this suggests to them that this is the place that they should be laying. however sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't, but its worth a try