How to train where to lay eggs

[MarlaMac]

Good morning.

Background infomation: Added 6 chicks to my flock in May of last year. Of course they are on the bottom of the pecking order. I have had quite the time teaching them to lay in the nest boxes. Rooster has trained most of them to do this for me, but 1 or two still do not.

Yesterday, I thought I lost one of my blues to a predator b/c she didn't come back to the coop with the others. I looked all over to no avail. My flock 100% free ranges from dawn to dusk.

Before I went to bed last night I did one more round with the flashlight to make sure she wasnt' somewhere and low and behold, she came running from around our backup generator. Gathered her, looked her over and put her in the coop. Happy ending and I could sleep.

This morning we walked the fence line. It is barbed wire and we have added chicken wire to the bottom and lined it with rocks everywhere we have found holes b/c this seems to be an issue with our flock. Problem is we have cats and they just push through the wire at the bottom.

Anyway, as we walked the fence we found a nest where one or more of our hens have layed. Other that lining the fence more, what can we do to train these girls to lay in the boxes. Locking everyone in the coop/run until the lay everyday is not a real option as our run is not big enough for that. Our run is simply a gathering place during inclement weather/morning/evening rituals. it is 12x12. Our coop is 8x12 plus 4x5 with lots of roosting (three 10 and one 12 foot roosting bars in the big section and one five foot bar in the smaller section) We have 19 layers and a rooster.

Other than lining/rocking more of the fence line and finding a way to keep my cats from plowing through the bottom what else can I do.

I will use these eggs for the chickens as I give them eggs 2x weekly with probiotics.

 

[RubelliteRose]

That is so frustrating! Can you make a slightly larger temporary run? I had a couple of pullets who decided to start laying in yard. It took less than a week of confinement to retrain them to lay the coop. That was a couple of years ago and we haven't had any eggs outside of the coop since then.

 

[MarlaMac]

That is so frustrating! Can you make a slightly larger temporary run? I had a couple of pullets who decided to start laying in yard. It took less than a week of confinement to retrain them to lay the coop. That was a couple of years ago and we haven't had any eggs outside of the coop since then.

Hmm...I might be able to make a smaller run that goes into the smaller coop where there are two lay boxes and keep only the offenders in there until the lay each day. Ugh...my husband is going to hate me.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, frustrating. This is a main reason we suggest making your facilities bigger rather than the minimum. It gives you more flexibility in dealing with issues. But you are where you are.

One common suggestion is to put fake eggs in the nests to show them where to lay. I doubt this will solve your problem because the others are already showing them where to lay, but it won't hurt. Remove all of the eggs from the area you do not want them to lay and mess it up so it doesn't look like a nest. That is highly unlikely to cause them to start laying in your nests but at least it will not encourage them to keep laying there.

You can try locking them all in that coop/run even if it is smaller than some standard recommendations on here. Often they can handle being kept in closer quarters pretty well, even below recommendations. I personally do not like crowding them but it is probably your easiest thing to try. It could very well work.

Hmm...I might be able to make a smaller run that goes into the smaller coop where there are two lay boxes and keep only the offenders in there until the lay each day. Ugh...my husband is going to hate me.

This is pretty close to what I was going to suggest if you can identify the offenders. Lock them in an area with a nest you want them to use and don't let them continue to lay outside. Put a fake egg in the nest. Whether you leave them in there full time or only let them out after they lay that day is up to you. I don't know how long it will take to retrain them. A week is probably plenty but each is an individual, you never know.

Good luck!