How do I encourage laying in the coop?

[35chick4kid1dog]

We have 24 hens, all have reached 20 weeks this week. They are free-range most of the day, sticking pretty close to the house and coop amongst the Honeysuckle trees (GREAT place for them, BTW, through the recent heat wave in Ohio).

So, out of 24 hens, I finally got our first eggs this week, I believe all from the same hen (Speckled Sussex).

I found one under the unfinished shed's floor. One I found hidden in the garage amongst the new bags of feed, and yesterday I watched her lay one in the kids' sand box, also in the garage. So now I am keeping the garage closed and have blocked off the space beneath the shed.

I don't think she's laid an egg today. Yesterday's egg was evening, about 5:30 pm, so I am guessing she's skipping today. Unless she hid it again and I can't find it.

So what is the best method of encouraging her and the other soon-to-be-laying girls to use the nest boxes in the coop? They are clean with fresh straw and a golf ball in each one. I thought perhaps the coop was too open since I was keeping the large main door open during the day for more air in the heat. I've kept that closed for the last 2 days now and will continue to do so. Any other suggestions?

Would confining the whole flock to the coop and both runs (20'x8' each) help? Is that enough room for them all to be happy for a week or so? There isn't much shade, and the coop is only 8'x8'.

Thanks so much!

 

[Den in Penn]

Confining them will help. At least with limiting the number of places they can lay. It will help to get them to laying in the boxes. For shade in the run put a tarp over it.

 

[TriangleMaster9]

Uhm... I don't know alot about egg laying, since mine haven't started laying yet, but heres one thing that can solve a few problems. Place a golf ball in each nesting box. This will do to things- 1. The chickens will peck at it and realize its not interesting, so when they do start laying they think its the golf ball and don't atempt to peck/ eat the egg. 2. It will also show the hens that are ready to lay its a safe spot to lay, because if the golf ball remains in the same spot/ untouched, they think if they lay eggs there, they will be safe.