I hesitated to post this, didn't want everyone to think I was a complete weirdo, but, well, ahem, I guess I am. I do a LOT of chicken watching. I mean, hours and hours... and more hours. I've seen more stronger willed hens want a box and chase another hen out just as she was about to lay, I mean, the egg came out as she was jumping down (2 feet) to the floor.
I've seen them chased out and sit right where they landed and lay.
I've seen them chased out and get in the corner on the floor under the nest boxes and turn around in circles (like a dog does) and set and lay on the floor in a little "floor nest" that some of them prefer. (I gave up trying to keep them from doing that, it is now officially a nesting "box".)
I've seen them fight over a nesting box and the hen that you would expect (and who usually "wins", doesn't) stomp out of coop and go to the middle of the run, squat and squawk as if throwing a bit of a temper tantrum and lay there in the open run.
I've seen a a hen get up on the roost in the middle of the day, squawk and carry on as if she is being attacked, flailing her wings and jump from one roost to another, then suddenly quiet herself, lay an egg, jump down (very nonchalantly) and stroll on outside like nothing just happened.
And, as is the case with free range birds, you don't even want to know some of the stories from other places I have had to discourage laying. I would almost guarantee that your hen can't get where she wants, when she wants and so, has just found "her own place". One thing I have thought to try and haven't is making curtains for the laying boxes and see if that changes their appeal. Like most people with thirty plus birds, we have twelve boxes and get eggs out of three of four. If you do something like that, let me know if it solves the problem.
I've seen them chased out and sit right where they landed and lay.
I've seen them chased out and get in the corner on the floor under the nest boxes and turn around in circles (like a dog does) and set and lay on the floor in a little "floor nest" that some of them prefer. (I gave up trying to keep them from doing that, it is now officially a nesting "box".)
I've seen them fight over a nesting box and the hen that you would expect (and who usually "wins", doesn't) stomp out of coop and go to the middle of the run, squat and squawk as if throwing a bit of a temper tantrum and lay there in the open run.
I've seen a a hen get up on the roost in the middle of the day, squawk and carry on as if she is being attacked, flailing her wings and jump from one roost to another, then suddenly quiet herself, lay an egg, jump down (very nonchalantly) and stroll on outside like nothing just happened.
And, as is the case with free range birds, you don't even want to know some of the stories from other places I have had to discourage laying. I would almost guarantee that your hen can't get where she wants, when she wants and so, has just found "her own place". One thing I have thought to try and haven't is making curtains for the laying boxes and see if that changes their appeal. Like most people with thirty plus birds, we have twelve boxes and get eggs out of three of four. If you do something like that, let me know if it solves the problem.
