Free Roaming Hens- egg collecting

[vstoltzfus]

I let my hens out around 7:30 a.m. and they go back in the coop all by themselves at dusk. All I have to do is close the hen door. All but one go back into the house to lay. The odd hen has a nest in our woodland. But I know where it is, and I check it every day and get her eggs. I think (and I say think because what do I really know?) what helped train them to was to keep them in the henhouse for about 2 weeks so they learned to nest in the boxes. After 2 weeks I let them out after lunch, since most of them lay in the morning. After a couple of days of that I went ahead and let them out in the morning, and now they know to go in to lay. It's been fairly smooth.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

My older hens go in and use the nest boxes, but this yrs pullets are laying in the weeds in several diff places around the yard. I think some are laying out in the woods. I hear the songs. I usually have 2 eggs in the goats stall and 2 behind a board in the barn aisle. Once in awhile on top of the hay bales. I just found a hen sitting on 9 eggs behind the nest box in the coop. yay

 

[nursemeh]

The idea of them finding cozy places around our house to lay is charming- but I want those yummy eggs and don't want to have to hunt for them all day!!

thanks for all the sharing- I love this site!!!!!!

I will keep their nest box inside the coop,cozy and clean, and if I don't get eggs, I will start making them stay inside their run for awhile in the am.

thanks!!

Mary

 

[nursemeh]

oh yes, and I am going to get some golf balls!!

 

[fldiver97]

Well, no eggs but it should be anytime now. I've had a couple of nestboxes ready for a while, already have wooden eggs in them. now I just have to make sure the girls read the instructions on where to lay......

 

[NotTheMomma]

If you have any plastic easter eggs laying around, you can put those in the nest. That's what I have in mine, and they lay in the nests. Well, all except the EE's, I dunno what's up with them. Maybe the wonderful colors of the plastic eggs are intimidating to them.

I didn't put any red ones in there though. Sometimes I'll find an egg has been moved into another nest, or thrown on the floor. Every once in awhile one has been opened. I really should go glue them shut. Good thought for tomorrow! Hadn't crossed my mind until I wrote this. But yup, tape or glue the plastic eggs together.

Mine are locked up tight every night. In the morning, around 7am, DH lets them out into the run. I then go out sometime before noon, just depends on when I get up, what I'm doing and what I"m feeling like, and let them out. I collect the eggs that have been layed up until then, refill any waterers, and check their food. Usually I'm out there by 9 am, but like I said, just depends. I have a few that are just starting to lay, and today there was one in the run, and one near the little door that lets them into the run. Smaller pullet eggs. Otherwise, I typically have 2 or 3 3ggs in several nests. Today I got 12 eggs.

Now I have an EE that INSISTS on flying out of the run every single day. 6 ft chain link fencing. Out she goes. I feel like she is laying, but haven't found her nest, or seen an egg!! I've searched, but no luck. We have 10.5 acres, so it could be anywhere. Another EE INSISTS on laying in the basement window well. No matter how many times I chase her out, and put her in the coop, she still comes back and lays in the window well. She only lays every other day.

I hope the rest of the flock is going back into the coop to lay during the day. I haven't found evidence otherwise and I did keep them locked in for two days just to see if more were laying than I thought.

Note to self.... trim wing on EE, and glue eggs together tomorrow!

 

[Frida's mom]

My free ranging BR layed in the coop every day for six weeks but subsequently has moved her nest every three or four days to flower beds, weeds and even the floor of the porch! I locked her up for two days but she didn't lay in the coop but made a bee line for the weed nest when I let her out on the third day. What to do???
I have four more almost 5 months old but not laying yet. I want them to lay in the coop!!!!

Frida's mom

 

[louis]

I must be in the same boat as Frida's mom. I have 6 RIR pullets born Valentine's day so they're about 6 1/2 months old. My other girls are still too young at about 4 months. Anyways two of my RIR were laying religiously every day in their nest boxes (where I had golf balls) in mid-afternoon and now today's the fifth straight day there's no eggs. They must have found somewhere else...I'm starting to suspect there were more laying also.

I guess I'll keep them penned up for a few days. Is that what you guys think? I know they're gonna hate it because they range all over and by 7am they're piled around the coop window and door itching to get out.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I had a hen go missing yesterday. DH heard the egg song while she was missing and the song wasn't coming from the coop. They are now on lockdown until they remember what their nestboxes are for.
They hate being locked in the coop, but sometimes it's necessary.
Today is a day when I expect early laying (since it was late yesterday evening), so I'll probably let them out for awhile late this evening.