Dmontgomery
Songster
I readily admit I am not much of a disciplinarian when it comes to our chickens. They free range sunup to sundown and pretty much lay eggs wherever they please. I've tried locking them in the coop for a few days at a time to teach them to use the nesting boxes, but I feel bad that they can't get out to scratch in the yard, so I give up and let them back out after 3-4 days. Rather than forcing them to lay in the correct location, I simply build new nesting boxes and place them anywhere I find a new egg. Yes, the chickens are in charge here.
One of the locations happens to be on top of a 6' tall "Rubbermaid" outdoor storage closet on our back porch.
Several months ago we started finding broken eggs on the back porch. It happened 3 days in a row until I personally witnessed a hen lay her egg, stand up, and saw the egg roll off and hit the floor. Later that day, I built a nesting box, per my wife's instructions, and placed it on the storage unit. Soon, 3 hens were fighting over who could lay in it first thing in the morning. So I had to build a second box, along with a ladder leading up to the boxes. That way they could safely descend without getting hurt. The ladder has basically become a waiting line now. At least 6 hens choose to lay in these boxes each morning.
Fast forward to August. One of the Golden Comets decides to go broody and chooses the box on the left as her nest. We immediately moved her and the nest to the coop. She immediately left the nest and went back to the storage unit. We did this 3 times over a 3 day period and finally gave in. We gave her 8 eggs to sit on and let her go. The other hens were ticked off about losing the nest, so we had to constantly watch for extra eggs in the nest.
Temperatures here in August are always 90 plus during the day and this nest is just a little over a foot from a "hot tin roof". By week 2 she looked awful but we forced her to get down periodically for food and electrolyte drinks. The due date was 9/14 but the first egg hatched Monday 9/11. Knowing the chicks would fall to their deaths, we carefully moved the hen and nest back to the coop. Naturally, she abandoned the nest and her lone chick to return to the storage unit again.
A second and third chick hatched Tuesday, so after dark everybody got placed in a plastic container and moved indoors to a spare bedroom.
She hatched out 5 of 8 eggs. The rooster is an EE and the mothers are either Golden Comets, EE, or Barred Rocks. All seem healthy so far considering they were several days premature, or maybe we miss counted the due date.
Anyway, they were moved to the coop late last night. Hopefully with 5 baby chicks to care for, she will be determined to stay on the nest now. I'm about 3 more days away from finishing a new 3'x8' brooder for the back porch. So next time this problem comes up, they won't be stinking up the spare bedroom.
I know this was a long post. I appreciate your patience and letting me get this off my chest. They frustrate me but it's my own fault.
One of the locations happens to be on top of a 6' tall "Rubbermaid" outdoor storage closet on our back porch.
Fast forward to August. One of the Golden Comets decides to go broody and chooses the box on the left as her nest. We immediately moved her and the nest to the coop. She immediately left the nest and went back to the storage unit. We did this 3 times over a 3 day period and finally gave in. We gave her 8 eggs to sit on and let her go. The other hens were ticked off about losing the nest, so we had to constantly watch for extra eggs in the nest.
Temperatures here in August are always 90 plus during the day and this nest is just a little over a foot from a "hot tin roof". By week 2 she looked awful but we forced her to get down periodically for food and electrolyte drinks. The due date was 9/14 but the first egg hatched Monday 9/11. Knowing the chicks would fall to their deaths, we carefully moved the hen and nest back to the coop. Naturally, she abandoned the nest and her lone chick to return to the storage unit again.
A second and third chick hatched Tuesday, so after dark everybody got placed in a plastic container and moved indoors to a spare bedroom.
Anyway, they were moved to the coop late last night. Hopefully with 5 baby chicks to care for, she will be determined to stay on the nest now. I'm about 3 more days away from finishing a new 3'x8' brooder for the back porch. So next time this problem comes up, they won't be stinking up the spare bedroom.
I know this was a long post. I appreciate your patience and letting me get this off my chest. They frustrate me but it's my own fault.
...dude, you got it bad!! 
