Group nest

[ackie]

My hens are free range so usually I have no idea where they lay, but sometimes theyll start laying somewhere obvious and all use the same nest (3-4 hens) and then one will go broody, and I'll kick her off but shell be back the next day so I'll have to pull the last egg and then the other hens stop laying there too. Any advice? Other than locking the broody hen up.

 

[HuffleClaw]

No... i don’t think there’s anything you can do except cage her up (which you didn’t want to do).

 

[ackie]

No... i don’t think there’s anything you can do except cage her up (which you didn’t want to do).

It's the only solution I've been able to come up with, but I feel so guilty locking up a bird that's used to having multiple acres of space.

 

[aart]

I'd confine them all to train them to the coop nests.
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/run for a week or so 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 and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, 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.



If you don't want a broody to hatch chicks, it's far kinder to break her promptly.
If you catch her quick, it should only take a few days.
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[ackie]

I'd confine them all to train them to the coop nests.
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/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests.
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yeah I'm tempted by this but I currently have too many hens to do this. I dont want to lock some in the pen and therefore break the other girls of coming back to the pen at night.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Well in that case step one is to somehow obtain (whether buying, building, etc) a big enough coop/run for all of your flock to fit inside of without being all cramped up.

 

[ackie]

Well in that case step one is to somehow obtain (whether buying, building, etc) a big enough coop/run for all of your flock to fit inside of without being all cramped up.

I have enough room for them to use the coop as sleeping, and 15 acres for them to run around on (though they dont wander that far).