Hi From The Hamptons

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Thank you! Yes they r such a joy for my family. I do have a issue: the chickens are kept in a nice barn that is left open so they can go in and out as they please during the entire day. The free roam our yard doing the day and although we put fake eggs in their nesting boxes before and after they started laying at 5-6 months as a hint to lay their eggs in the nesting boxes , only some of our buff use the nesting boxes ( others.. We don't know WHO) lay their eggs in very smart hiding places: the huge rosebushes that had my ex bleed trying to get those eggs out. Ouch! And under extra yard chairs we had hidden away in a far away area of the yard. It is not like it's just an egg or two outside. It's between 12 and 6 in each pile!! Inside the barn is 4-5 eggs on a daily basis and I see 2-3 hens nesting each day. It's a chicken mystery! :) they totally look alike but their eggs vary in brown shades ( some are slightly lighter than othes) and some are glossy and others are matted. I'm sure there are individual hens laying individual shades but do not know which as all of my buffs look alike :)

I am sure this is common that they lay outside when they roam free as my grand mother had the same issue w her free roam chickens. I tried putting them in the barn at a time where the chickens go inside the barn during the day to lay eggs. This is usually around 12-3 pm. Doing this has not solved the issue.

They are smart too .. every time I find their hiding spot, they or she just find a new hiding place. She or they are starting to find other areas of the barn which is impossible to get to (unless you are a chicken.. ), so any experience w this? :) thanks. Ps one is broody. I removed her eggs but she still sits in her nest box 24 hours a day w out leaving the nest box unless I carry her out in the yard . Any experience w this is also appreciated :)
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


Unless you can get them trained to use nest boxes, they are going to hide their eggs all over the place. LOL You have to think like a chicken...when you take away an egg, a hen thinks a predator ate it and it is not safe to lay there any more. So she finds another spot. But if you use fake eggs in an area you want them to lay in, the hens will thing, "hmmm....those eggs are still there today, so this MUST be a good place to lay mine"! And this is exactly what they are thinking. So if you do use nesting boxes or just an area on the floor of the barn, make sure it is always very clean. Hens won't lay in dirty bedding or areas with bugs or other pests and predator signs.

So get your boxes all cleaned up and put some nice fake eggs in there. Here is a link to some you can purchase...http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Hen-Tre...r=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Happy+Hen+porceline+eggs

They make white ones as well. I have left these eggs in my boxes for years and this keeps the hens laying all of the boxes instead of just one.

Enjoy this wonderful adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!
 
TwoCrows said:
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[COLOR=333333]Hello there and welcome to BYC! :frow [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Unless you can get them trained to use nest boxes, they are going to hide their eggs all over the place. LOL You have to think like a chicken...when you take away an egg, a hen thinks a predator ate it and it is not safe to lay there any more. So she finds another spot. But if you use fake eggs in an area you want them to lay in, the hens will thing, "hmmm....those eggs are still there today, so this MUST be a good place to lay mine"! And this is exactly what they are thinking. So if you do use nesting boxes or just an area on the floor of the barn, make sure it is always very clean. Hens won't lay in dirty bedding or areas with bugs or other pests and predator signs. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]So get your boxes all cleaned up and put some nice fake eggs in there. Here is a link to some you can purchase...http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Hen-Treats-Ceramic-Brown/dp/B00GGCBD2U/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408800501&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Happy+Hen+porceline+eggs[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]They make white ones as well. I have left these eggs in my boxes for years and this keeps the hens laying all of the boxes instead of just one.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Enjoy this wonderful adventure you are on and welcome to our flock![/COLOR]

Thank you :) that was great advice on chicken behavior . Mine lay brown ones so the brown ceramic ones from amazon you referred me to are perfect for this chicken adventure.
 

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