Hens laying in the brooder! - Dumb or Smart?

[Bleenie]

I have 2 OE/EE hens that INSIST on making their way into the brooder with the ducklings & goslings to lay their eggs. I have covered the front with boards and put a plastic thing over the light but they knocked the thing off the light today to get in to lay. I have NO IDEA what their infatuation with laying in the brooder is, can someone try to explain this to me and help me figure out how to break them of it???

See the pile of frightened babies?

 

[Desert Rooster]

i dont have an answer for you, but wanted to say that is one beautiful hen

 

[Silkie Sue]

that is cute...

i also have to say i don't really see the terror in the duckies eyes....

 

[Bleenie]

It's really the 3 Goslings that scream bloody murder, the little Muscovy babies don't seem bothered by much, not even the dog's fat head in the brooder, lol. Thank you Desert Rooster

 

[Moonkit]

Do they have the same bedding in the nest boxes as the brooder has? Is there a decoy egg in the nestbox?

edit: corrected a word.

 

[Bleenie]

Yes there is plenty of eggs in the nest boxes. They were laying in the boxes before. It is the same bedding.

I just decided it is very stupid for them to keep laying in the brooder, I also discovered why one of the hens tails looks weird. I went out to collect the eggs and the last hen got up and just about lit herself on fire with the heat light

!!! Thankfully I was standing there and snatched her up so they only got singed a little but I don't want my girls runnign around with bald spots, the dummies

I didn't want to have to modify the brooder so if ANYONE has any ideas how to break em from trying to get in there ot lay, please toss em out here!

 

[gryeyes]

Uh, how about spreading some plain old chicken wire across the top, held down by bent nails at the corners so all you have to do is lift it away from the nails to get into the brooder?

It will also keep babies inside .... As well as hens outside, doncha think?

 

[Silkie Sue]

This is really Not Funny but.......
did it smell like BBQ ?????