Hens laying all in the same spot

[smurfette]

I have around 30 chickens. The pen is about 1/4 of our cow barn. We have a fenced in area out side the barn the length of the barn about 8 feet wide. Never had a problem with them getting out "yet". ''

Now the problem ( ok its not a problem kind of nice but weird) We are unsure of who is laying because we are finding 8-10 eggs under one hen. Now i know this hen is not laying all of the eggs. This isnt even a laying box. It is an undercove at the window where they go out side. It is much like a cave. What is causing them to lay all in one little spot when i have 30 nesting boxes. The worst part is trying to get the eggs out if a hen is sitting on them only one way in and one way out and it is at the door to the out side. If one of the roosters are outside and he hears the hens upset he comes to their defense. My 12 yr old got attacked by the one rooster a few days ago. (terrified me because i have a scar on my face from an attack as a child)


Any cure for the one spot laying asides from removing the laying spot.

Ty!
Ang- aka smurffy (one short gal w/ lots of boys in her life

2 boys 3 dogs 3 cats 8 cows oodles of chickens!

 

[monathequeen]

I would say that now that they have a favorite laying spot, they will continue to lay there.....the only thing to do is block that hole so they can't get in there...they will eventually lay with the others in the box.
It's very hard to break their habits once they start one.....If you start getting too many eggs in that hole, they will start eating the eggs. A Very bad habit to break with chickens.

Fill that hole ASAP.....good luck.

 

[smurfette]

Thank you so much. Right now I'm checking for eggs 3-5 times a day. On days im not out there as often i seem to have less eggs. Are they eating the eggs on the fewer egg days? Or just a coincidence

I will be working on blocking off the hole tomorrow.

Thank you for the speedy advice!

 

[monathequeen]

Either they are eating them or a Snake or Rat may be eating them...........
I have a yard full of snakes and for awhile I had one egg a day....
This summer I have been lucky with no snakes but now I can't keep the hens from eating them. They lay at different times of the day so I cannot collect the eggs all at once. It's a strange chicken world sometimes. LOL