I think my girls are mad at me :(

[Dar]

Hello all...

I think my girls are mad at me because up until a few days ago I was allowing the hens to free range all day... well now rhat we have found eggs in the flower beds and in the window wells I have decided to keep them in a run for the most part of the day to encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes or even in the run I would be happy... so now what I am doing is keeping them in the run/coop area all day and only allowing them to free range after 6PM (and besides this is going to be the schedule when the kids go back to school and I go back to work I dont want them left alone all day with no one home incase there is a predator)... what else can I do to engourage them to lay in the coop...can they become eggbound cause they dont want to lay there..can thry willingly stop laying just to be stubborn?..

thanks everyone..

 

[Ladysonja]

Bless your heart!

It maybe a good idea to let them get to the new hours now instead of when you are trying to coral kids and hens to earlier bed times when school starts.

Then you wouldn't be dealing with home work, class projects and possible egg bound hens.

Someone else has suggested putting golf balls in their boxes and see if they get the hint that is where they are suppose to lay. Give that a go and see what they do.

Good Luck.

 

[Dar]

I have golf balls sitting in there now and they just push them around but still no eggs in the nest..

and I thought kids were confusing...LOL at least there is a manual for chickens

 

[angels4]

Don't let them wear ya down! They will continue to pace at the run door, shoot you dirty looks, and let you hear about it, especially when they know you are watching. Spy on them from a hidden vantage point, and you will notice they are fine and continue to do chickeny things. Keep doing what you are, and keep those golf balls in the nest box. The will eventually get the idea.

I don't have any experience with egg binding, but I don't believe your approach will not cause them to become bound, but I'm sure someone with more experience will be along soon.

 

[Dar]

I know chickens are VERY different then reptiles...but if my Bearded droagon does not have her nesting box in the tank when she is gravid she will not lay and I have run into egg binding with her..so now I am hoping that the chickens dont have a tude problem like my dragon