How do you...

[pdau75]

How do you make hens lay in a different spot? I have 33 hens and am getting 19 eggs a day. 7 are from last year and the rest are from this year. They seem to lay mostly in one spot. Is there a way to trick them into laying in different spots? My concern is that 30+ eggs on one nest might be too heavy and cause some to break. Any help is appreciated

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

How do you make hens lay in a different spot? I have 33 hens and am getting 19 eggs a day. 7 are from last year and the rest are from this year. They seem to lay mostly in one spot. Is there a way to trick them into laying in different spots? My concern is that 30+ eggs on one nest might be too heavy and cause some to break. Any help is appreciated

It's fairly common for there to be a favorite box or two - and those favorites can change. When the first hen lays her egg in a given spot it becomes the "seal of approval" so to speak for other birds who come along after looking for a good, safe nest to lay their egg in that day. To encourage use of other boxes you want to a) look at hte favored box and see how it might differ from those that are not favored (even with identically built boxes, a slight difference in relation to the door, window, etc can make a difference - how light/dark is that box vs. others, is it above or below, to the left or right, etc) - you can also give other boxes the "seal of approval" by placing some fake eggs or golf balls in them to give the appearance that other hens have laid in those boxes and this will often make them more desirable as a place to lay for hens that come along and see those "eggs".

 

[pdau75]

Thanks Ol Grey Mare! I might have some golf balls lying around, but I have a TON of those plastic coloured easter eggs...do you think these will do or will my feathered geniuses see through my ploy?