hens are finally layin, but......everywhere!

[garye5007]

Hi,
my chickens are finally laying (first egg about a week ago i have 2 BR & 3 RIR), but all over the place. at first, found one in the run. then a couple in the coop. today one on the floor in coop, one broken on the floor and one up in the rafters where they roost. I put a cat litter box in the coop before they started laying with a couple of golf balls and hay in it.
will they eventually get the idea? or is there something i can do to help them figure it out? do they not like the litter box or maybe where i have it?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Gary

 

[Kittymomma]

They may just not like the "nest" you provided. They like to feel safe and hidden and most of mine like the nest boxes that are a foot or two off of the floor. Lots of people use the covered cat boxes for nests with good results so maybe you could put a cover on yours? You can use almost anything for a nest box as long as it's placed in an area where they can feel safe. I'd add a second nest box as well so they have a choice and another option if the first ones in use.

 

[cottage19]

We have a spacious coop with 4 roomy nest boxes 16" off the floor. Two of the girls (we have 7) were laying on the floor and we were having problems with broken eggs. I put a covered litter box under the nest boxes and they seem to like that- today I had 3 eggs in the "floor nest" and 4 in the boxes above.

 

[end9586]

my hens lay everywhere also but i just moved them into a new coop and have yet to build their nest boxes but at their old coop it took me waiting for them to lay 3 or 4 eggs randomly and then i put those in the nest box and voila my hens got the idea, till one went broody and beat the other hens up for coming near the nest boxes

 

[happychickengirls]

I have had that problems also lately. I have five chickens and most of them have just started laying. I notice that a couple will lay
in their nest boxes (usually fight over the same one-even though we have three. There are a couple that love to lay somewhere
where there is high grass or weeds. One will do anything to get out of her pen when she wants to lay her egg. I even weedwacked
where she was laying and she decided to come right up on my deck and lay her eggs in a little tub of flowers I have growing.
I notice that once you let your chicks start to free range (watch out!!!) because when I do put them in their coop or pen and they dont want to be in it, well.... all I can say is the squawking starts and they are not happy!! Ever hear that saying- Give a chicken the yard - they want to move inside your house??? Well thats how its been here lately. And when their ready to lay their eggs its always such a
commotion lately. They are too funny!!! Good luck with your chicks!