Guarding the hen house

[cooped up]

My laying hens seem to be guarding the nesting boxes from the australorp pullets. I noticed this a couple of days ago, then saw it again this morning. If one of the pullets go near the pop door, the other hens will chase them away. Once in a while a pullet will make it into the house, but will be promptly chased out.

I'm thinking that if I let them all roam the yard it would give the pullets better access to the nesting boxes? Any other suggestions?

 

[Featherland]

I think you have a good idea. Are your pullets getting ready to lay soon? Eventually the hens may get tired of guarding the nesting boxes if they have something better to do.

 

[cooped up]

Not long after I let them out of the run a pullet snuck in and laid an egg in a box. I also discovered another egg under the roosting bars, which could have been missed yesterday.Both eggs are small,as first eggs should be.

We'll try this for a while until all the pullets start to lay.

Integrating the pullets/hens really hasn't been too difficult and this is a minor hurdle in the process. I'm counting my blessings