how to get them back to the egg box?

[elsiebb]

My six layers took a break for the month of December. Since no one was laying, I took the nest boxes out to stop my three young birds from sleeping in them. That worked and everyone is now roosting. Before I could get the nest boxes back in the coop one of my girls started laying again. Found an egg in the run last Friday. Put the nest boxes back in on Saturday and found another egg in the run Saturday. Locked them up all day Sunday. no egg at all. Locked them up for the morning yesterday. No egg all day. Today I find an egg under the coop. Could have been yesterday's since I didn't check there yesterday. Could have been today's. I looked harder because I couldn't believe she'd go two days without laying. How do I get her back to using the nest box? All Fall they all laid in the boxes - even their very first eggs. Do I just keep them locked in all day for a few days?? Appreciate advice!!

 

[LRH97]

I would probably keep them locked up for a day or two. Try to go out to the coop before they lay and maybe stick a girls or two in a box and see what happens.

 

[elsiebb]

I'm happy to report that leaving them locked up did the trick. We only had to keep them
inside until mid-day. By then they'd done their laying ( in the best box!). This week I've let them out first thing each morning and ALL eggs have been I. the nest box. Yay!