How to train chicken to lay in the coop?

[Wild1]

Hi all,

I live in Malaysia and have kept chicken the local Kampung variety for a year here and had no problems the run was not so big and I have 20 birds. The chickens all laid only in the coop nest boxes with no issues.

Now I have moved to a much bigger place and the coop is different, the chickens were kept inside for a full week then let out and they laid in the coop. Now they have discovered the great outdoors and are free ranging, this is good in one sense but I was getting 8 eggs a day at the start but now none of the birds lay in the coop. They must be laying outside but I cannot find where. They all come back at night to roost so they know where to come home.

2 questions which are likely stupid questions but I will ask anyway,

1 How to encourage the hens to lay in the coop but be free ranging?
2 How to find where they are laying?

Stephen

 

[PurpleChicken1]

You can try and put golf balls or wooden eggs in the boxes. This might persuade them to lay their eggs in there. I am not entirely sure as how to find the eggs but you could (I know this sounds a bit over the top and wacky…..) set up a camera where they roam so you can find where they lay their eggs outside! Good Luck!

 

[vehve]

Just throwing an idea out there, but how about some freestanding nestboxes placed in the areas that they like to free range in?

 

[Wild1]

Hi and thanks for the reply, yes I already have plastic eggs in the boxes but once they get out they don't come back. Their food and water is in the coop but I guess they are finding enough outside.
Yes thought of a video camera to track where they go hahaha seems like a bit over the top but I live in a jungle area now so I guess it could be anywhere. I was sort of hoping they would at least lay somewhere near by.

Stephen

 

[kikithebird]

lock them i the coop for one week they will start to do it in the nest box and let them out hopefully they will lay in their boxes and the plastic egg trick

 

[PurpleChicken1]

lock them i the coop for one week they will start to do it in the nest box and let them out hopefully they will lay in their boxes and the plastic egg trick

Thats a good idea!