I have started free ranging my chickens for about the past month. I've noticed slowly declining numbers of eggs. They are only a year old and have been very constent layers. Yesterday I only got one egg today none. I suspect they have found a different place to lay their eggs but I haven't been able to find it! Any ideas of how to get the ladies to lay where they are suppose to lay and where they might currently be laying? Thanks
Is their coop and run large enough to keep them locked in for a few days? That can help retrain them to lay where you want them to. One other thing you can do is, don't let them out until later in the afternoon, then follow the ones who are running cross-legged to parts unknown. When I do that, I kind of stay back and watch from a distance because some of them are just so secretive, they won't go to their hiding place if they know you're watching. At least that's what some of mine do - they just run around frantically until I back off, pretend not to look and watch from a distance. Chickens are such funny creatures.
Good idea, you could also try to put a fake egg or golf ball in the nesting box(es) to encourage them to lay there.
Welcome to BYC! Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for 3-4 days (or longer) can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop 24/7 for a few days to a week, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.
