How do I get my chickens to lay in the right place?

[kendallnoel]

My girls have been laying for about 3 week now, but they are laying all over the place - NOT in nest boxes. They are in a large coop during most of the day and of course at night. They get to come out as soon as I (or any other family member) get home. Sometimes there is one or two eggs in the coop and even those aren't always in the boxes. Then they skedaddle down to the big hay barn and lay their eggs in there. I don't want to have to keep them cooped up, but I also don't want them laying in the hay barn or other places. Should I make them stay in their coop for a week or so until they get the hang of where to lay? I would have really mad girls if I did that.

 

[yogifink]

Put a few eggs or golf balls in their nesting boxes and leave them there for a bit and they will get the idea.

 

[Gryphon]

Can you change your nesting boxes to resemble where they're laying in the barn? As in, if you're not using straw and they're making a bee line for it, then change the bedding to straw. If it's more open/more closed in, then modify it. Of course, they could just be stubborn things that are picking the barn for no good reason, in that case a combination of golf balls/fake eggs and locking them in the coop for a period of time might be in order.

 

[kendallnoel]

I think that I'm going to grab some golf balls and try that. We are also supposed to have some rainy weather later this week, so that will be a good time to keep them locked in the coop for a couple of days. I love this site! I always learn so much!

 

[gilcamp4]

I used golf balls and plastic eggs in our nest, I do not have a way to free ranch my chickens, I have a guy next door who would kill them as soon as he saw them out loose, but we have a good setup for them so its not bad, I got 7 eggs today which is the most I have got since aug. I have 29 hens and 2 roosters. they have a lot of room to move around, they can get under the camper which we made into a coop. the run is about 50 x 50 so it is as big as some yards.