HELP! chickens not laying in nesting boxes

emilyklein

Hatching
5 Years
May 4, 2014
3
0
7
Help! My chickens have stopped laying in their laying boxes and instead are finding places to lay in the woods :( I thought I had solved this problem but today I found another spot with 12 eggs that appear to be recent. and also a new hen only 6 months old just began laying and had a batch of about 8 eggs by her :( Does anyone have any ideas to help stop this they free range currently and I have 15 hens. Also can I use these eggs? It has only recently been very mild out as I live in Wisconisn I think the eggs are all still good but I would I know if they arent or do I need to be worried?Thanks in advance!
 
First off...welcome! I am also a new chicken mother, you are in great company here. This community has helped me though many situations. I don't allow my chickens to free-range due to where we live, but as far as eating the eggs goes I would say you are safe. I've read online that some people don't refrigerate their eggs at all...they rub them with mineral oil and store them in a pantry for up to 6 months! This seems like a little much to me, but especially if your weather has been mild I wouldn't be concerned about them not being edible. Hopefully someone else will jump in and give you some advice on how to get those hens to lay in their boxes...best of luck!
 
Hello fellow wisconsinite!

I don't know how to get your chickens to lay in their boxes, but if you want to see if your eggs are ok to eat, float test them. If they float, toss. The freshest ones should sit flat on the bottom. A little older but still ok to eat will sit touching the bottom but tilted up on one end. If they manage to achieve lift off, I'd toss em. Good luck!
 
Someone correct me if I am wrong but I think the float test works on the principle that eggs lose interior moisture as they age. When hatching them people often keep track of this. Less moisture inside means more air. If they get enough air (meaning they've sat long enough) they'll float.
 
Have you tried putting fake (wooden) eggs in the nesting boxes? This works for some folks. Chickens tend to follow what the others do and if they think the other hens are laying in the nesting boxes they may follow suit. You can find wooden eggs typically at craft stores. Amazon also sells them.
 
You will need to re-train your chickens to their coop and nest boxes. That means confining them to the coop for several days to a week so they can't currently find places to hide their eggs, making their nest boxes look like inviting places to lay their eggs. No running around until they've had a few days at least of laying eggs where you want them. RM is right about putting fake eggs in the nest boxes. They are more likely to lay where they think other hens have had egg laying success. If nothing else throw some golf balls or egg sized rocks in the nests. If you have time to observe them and you see one that you think is getting ready to lay and she is not in the nest boxes pick her up and put her in so she will pick up the idea that that is where she should lay. Usually when one starts to lay in the nest boxes the other will follow her example and lay there too.

That being said make sure the next boxes they are to use are dark, safe places for them. Hens go into a trance-like state when they are getting ready to lay and feel vulnerable to predators. Good nest boxes are dark (they can be painted dark), facing away from windows and doors and are out of busy areas so the hens feel safe enough to lay their eggs there. Some people will even hang strips of fabric across the entrance to the nests to help their hens feel secure.
 
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You can do the old float test to gauge the freshness of hen eggs, or you can break each individual egg out into a cup, saucer, or glass before adding it to your skillet or recipe.

If you're squeamish, new to back yard chickens, and don't yet know how to candle an egg the last suggestion is a good way to check your eggs and improve your candling skills.

Simply candle the egg, and note the appearance, then break the egg your fixing to eat to see if what you first saw when you candled the egg is what you now see when you break the egg.
 
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