Hen getting ready to start laying but I'm afraid it won't be in the coop I want her to use

[FrostRanger]

Many people say to leave them in the coop until around noon so they lay their eggs there. I've only had broody hens try to hide a nest in the yard. They usually want to lay their eggs in a place they feel safe.

But you should definitely do something about the drainage in the coop. You don't want them in mud. There is one illness that chickens can get or be more susceptible to in damp conditions. But my brain can't think of it right now. LOL

Coccidiosis

 

[ChicNmom]

Coccidiosis

Thank You!! I was thinking that was the one but not 100%. Then started second guessing.

Not much sleep last night so not on my A game. LOL

 

[aart]

So you think maybe when the others start laying, they'll take their cue from her? Or will I have to just keep adding them until they're all laying there?

Maybe.
Best to have a big enough coop and run to confine all the birds at once, both for 'nest training' and other issues like predator or weather problems.

 

[Chickie YumYum]

You guys have been my life saver so I wanted to share this before I asked another few coop questions.
Susie, my hen that I knew would be laying very soon laid her first egg, a pink one, today; in the correct nest box! So glad she's either smart or a mind reader!

 

[Chickie YumYum]

I will also add that setup is quite small, you'd ideally want a total of 20 square feet in the coop and 50 square feet of run space at a bare minimum for the amount of birds you have

What do you think of widening the run that there with some wooden posted and 1/4" wire. Plus just make the wooden bottom of the mud run floor to cover complete run bottom. The run that came with houses have 1/4" and I'm really only satisfied with wire that small. Predators around here are raccoons, hawks, coyotes, and Snakes (copperheads, black, king, garter) and only little newborns would be able to get thru squares that small.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The run gets quite muddy when it really rains so I think I'm going to use the slats from an old Boxspring to make a slightly raised run to get their feet out of the mud. What do you think?

What do you think of widening the run that there with some wooden posted and 1/4" wire. Plus just make the wooden bottom of the mud run floor to cover complete run bottom.

Widening the run to at least 6' would be a great idea, but you will continue to have mud issues if you don't address it.

Adding a wood floor is at best a temporary fix, chickens should be kept on substrate that lets them dig down. You need to address drainage around the run, and you need to rethink your litter and poop management (I see little to no litter in the run).

 

[Chickie YumYum]

Widening the run to at least 6' would be a great idea, but you will continue to have mud issues if you don't address it.

Adding a wood floor is at best a temporary fix, chickens should be kept on substrate that lets them dig down. You need to address drainage around the run, and you need to rethink your litter and poop management (I see little to no litter in the run).

I read somewhere, can't remember where, that some people use a thick layer of dried oak leaves. Would they dry quick enough? Especially if they were on top of the slats? I hadn't really worried yet because they are in the yard from the time I wake up to when they go to bed; scratching and eating, under the deck taking a dust bath, or on the deck looking in the house and knocking on the door with their breaks. There's no mud under the hen houses so I wasn't going to put wood there. Would the leaves work do you think? I'm broke and have 11 access total but other than yard, I'm completely surrounded by hardwood. The street I live on is White Oak Drive.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I read somewhere, can't remember where, that some people use a thick layer of dried oak leaves. Would they dry quick enough? Especially if they were on top of the slats? I hadn't really worried yet because they are in the yard from the time I wake up to when they go to bed; scratching and eating, under the deck taking a dust bath, or on the deck looking in the house and knocking on the door with their breaks. There's no mud under the hen houses so I wasn't going to put wood there. Would the leaves work do you think? I'm broke and have 11 access total but other than yard, I'm completely surrounded by hardwood. The street I live on is White Oak Drive.

Scrap the slat idea, it won't last and depending on width of openings you're risking a bird getting a foot or toe caught in there. Yes I've had a bird get a toe trapped in a gap between pieces of wood and die from it.

You haven't mentioned what drainage is like there... my yard is also super flat but we have excellent existing drainage so rainwater just drains off inside the run. But with harder soils water might just run across the surface, and other soils get waterlogged.

Leaves are a good mix in for litter but from my own experience they mat down too much to use as the only litter type. What you really want is chunky wood chips - do people in your area chip branches, or is there free pick up of chips from utility services or community services? If you mix some leaves into the chips that will provide drainage and aeration plus help compost down any poops in there.

 

[ChicNmom]

@LKJLigon

We have a little bit of a grade around our coop. There is no flat land here.
We would occasionally get a mud hole in our run. We dug a trench around the perimeter of the coop for drainage. That worked really well to divert water.

Our run has a dirt floor and every year I replace some sand or dirt that got removed when cleaning.

 

[Chickie YumYum]

Scrap the slat idea, it won't last and depending on width of openings you're risking a bird getting a foot or toe caught in there. Yes I've had a bird get a toe trapped in a gap between pieces of wood and die from it.

You haven't mentioned what drainage is like there... my yard is also super flat but we have excellent existing drainage so rainwater just drains off inside the run. But with harder soils water might just run across the surface, and other soils get waterlogged.

Leaves are a good mix in for litter but from my own experience they mat down too much to use as the only litter type. What you really want is chunky wood chips - do people in your area chip branches, or is there free pick up of chips from utility services or community services? If you mix some leaves into the chips that will provide drainage and aeration plus help compost down any poops in there. But it would be great

I don't know about the tree service and I hadn't even thought about the utility companies, but it would be great. I could check with the local landscaping companies too. Since I'm having to get to soil from them for the gardens, maybe that would help them remember me when taking down limbs and trees. I hadn't thought about a chicken getting a toe caught. Ugh I am so sorry you lost one that way, and I've gotten my heels stuck so many times myself. The drainage is very poor. No top soil was brought in when they finished building.
I just thought of 2 stump grinders I know too. One is going to grind a dump in my front yard when I can afford it.
Idon't know what I'd do without all you guys for brains.