Hen laying willy-nilly—why??

[Peas4Ducks]

We have very sweet RIR hen that has taken up some odd egg laying behavior lately. About a week and a half ago, I saw her sitting in the middle of the yard all puffed up and thought that she must be sick. I walked over to check on her and noticed that she looked like she was straining all her muscles. Just when I was about to get seriously worried, she got up and walked away, leaving an egg behind! Right there in the middle of the yard. Since then, I’ve found her eggs randomly strewn around the yard every other day or so. What gives? Should I be worried?

 

[cherrynberry]

@Overo Mare ?

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

Do all of the other birds lay in the boxes? Maybe try locking them up for a few days with fake, or real eggs in the nest boxes.

 

[azygous]

She needs to be closed up in the coop around the time you expect her to lay. Just as highway crews put out cones and barricades to direct motorists where they want them to go, so it is with chickens and laying.

Given too many choices, a hen will often drive you nuts leaving eggs all over the place. You need to deprive her of all choices but the one to lay where you want her to.

When a hen is laying in the coop but not in a nest box, you block off those places. When the choices are everywhere in the yard, you need to block off the yard. You only need to close her up in the coop when you see she's getting ready to lay. If you can't tell, then you'll have to lock her up all day.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

She needs to be closed up in the coop around the time you expect her to lay. Just as highway crews put out cones and barricades to direct motorists where they want them to go, so it is with chickens and laying.

Given too many choices, a hen will often drive you nuts leaving eggs all over the place. You need to deprive her of all choices but the one to lay where you want her to.

When a hen is laying in the coop but not in a nest box, you block off those places. When the choices are everywhere in the yard, you need to block off the yard. You only need to close her up in the coop when you see she's getting ready to lay. If you can't tell, then you'll have to lock her up all day.

That makes sense, and I will try that. The thing that I don’t understand is that it seems like she doesn’t know when she’s about to lay—like it catches her by surprise while she’s out scratching in the yard. She’s not seeking out cozy spots, she just lays out in the open. It just goes against everything I thought I understood about how chickens prefer to lay eggs.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

Do all of the other birds lay in the boxes? Maybe try locking them up for a few days with fake, or real eggs in the nest boxes.

The other hens usually lay in the nest box—we only have 3, so we have 1 box. They briefly experimented with laying under the porch, but decided they actually prefer the box. Our RIR seems to be in denial that she needs to seek out any place to lay, whether it be under the porch or the coop or wherever!

 

[azygous]

It's like potty training a toddler. They don't always recognize the urge.into When you have a toddler who has a problem recognizing the urge, you keep them close to the toilet until they get it. Same with a hen that isn't with it yet. It helps to keep them in the coop until they associate the urge with laying in there.

With chickens, if they have a behavior problem, it helps to make their world smaller and more manageable, reducing choices until they learn the proper habit. Chickens are very capable of learning, and do so quickly, as long as you make it easy for them.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

It's like potty training a toddler. They don't always recognize the urge.into When you have a toddler who has a problem recognizing the urge, you keep them close to the toilet until they get it. Same with a hen that isn't with it yet. It helps to keep them in the coop until they associate the urge with laying in there.

With chickens, if they have a behavior problem, it helps to make their world smaller and more manageable, reducing choices until they learn the proper habit. Chickens are very capable of learning, and do so quickly, as long as you make it easy for them.

Super interesting. I never would have thought of egg laying as comparable with potty training, but that makes sense! Thank you