Hitchcock's The Birds

[celtic kiss]

That is exactly what it feels like when I go to let them out of the coop in the morning!

Our hens recently started laying, we got them as day old chicks back in August. Before they started laying we would let them out and they would run to their food and water. Now they are all but stalking me and making a bunch of noise, not exactly crowing but almost sounding like geese. They don't even want to move out of the way. We have 14 hens and one rooster. I know some are RIR, the rest I don't know about. We picked out ones good for cold weather since we are in Idaho.

Also they seem to be laying their eggs outside of the coop for the most part rather than in the nesting boxes even though the coop is clean and has good bedding in the boxes. Yesterday some of the eggs were under the stairs which I cannot reach LOL

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sunflour]

glad you have joined us.

I'm not an expert, just a small flock owner - had mine nearly 3 years and raised them from 3 days old.

But - the honking sound came when they were teenagers and not quite mature enough to begin to lay - and they did sound like geese. But once they started laying eggs they all had the adult chicken sounds. And after laying eggs most will sing the egg laying song.

My hens are always begging for treats and maybe that's why they are so attentive?

My first eggs were laid on the coop floor, under the ramp, in the run and the funniest was laid while Road Runner was walking down the ramp.

They may just have been surprised by the first eggs, but if none are using the nest boxes, then take an objective look at the arrangement, location, and lighting effects on the nests. Posting a pic inside the coop can help get opinions on the issue and how to train them to use the nests.

You should consider posting an introduction under the new members forum to get a proper welcoming.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

I think @sunflour might be right that they are just excited you are there and hoping you have treats for them. I have one who does a little running around and honking in the morning, but it seems like she is just excited to be up and about. I guess what's cute with one might make you feel a little like Tippi Hedren with 15, though.

Some people put wooden decoy eggs in the nest boxes; hens like to lay eggs in clutches (I assume it's a probability of survival thing), so if they see one there they might be more inclined to add to the clutch. But I agree that it might also be something about the setup and location of the nest boxes. I thought mine would want their nest boxes in the back of the coop where it is dark and private, but it turned out they wanted to be able to look out the window while nesting, so that is where their box ended up.

 

[azygous]

It sounds as if your hens have gotten into some bad habits. I would try to block off the places where they've become fond of laying.

Examine the nest boxes. Is there enough room? A hen needs to be able to stand up in the nest when she's about ready to lay the egg. It needs to be roomy enough to be comfortable, but also private and away from activity.

Hens also may be reluctant to use a nest box if there's a bully ready to chase her away. That's happened in my flock.

Hens also like loose nesting material they can fluff up and toss around. Is it clean and deep enough? Wooden fake eggs or golf balls placed in the nest can provide a stimulant to laying there.

Sometimes we need to be Sherlock Holmes to discover why our chickens are behaving the way they do.