Is it harmful to confine a layer in a run who is accustomed to laying out in the yard?

[Bhapimama]

I'm new to chicken-raising. Got the girls as day old chicks five months ago and they are very much our spoiled little friends. Two have started laying, one was laying in the nesting box (Laya), one had a "secret" nest in the yard (Peep). If Peep doesn't get let out in a timely fashion, she seems very distressed running up and down the fence line and popping her head out between the livestock wire.
Laya started exhibiting broody behavior- she was moving the decoy eggs into her favorite box and laying on the decoy eggs and her egg for hours and making threatening noises and puffing up. So I took the decoy eggs away. That was four days ago. The next day she didn't lay at all. The day after that she made a secret nest under the back porch and laid an egg. The next day, no egg and then today a new secret nest and one egg.
So this whole secret nest thing is getting rediculous and the other two chickens haven't even started laying yet!
I'm thinking I need to take charge and make them stay exclusively in their run until everyone is consistently laying in the boxes. I'm just concerned that it could cause them problems, like causing them to become egg-bound.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[catcrazy37]

They'll be fine, maybe a bit grumpy . Egg-boundness is usually caused by health problems or nutrient deficiencies. As long as they have nest boxes and plenty of space, there's no problem in keeping them contained while they're learning

 

[Bhapimama]

They'll be fine, maybe a bit grumpy . Egg-boundness is usually caused by health problems or nutrient deficiencies. As long as they have nest boxes and plenty of space, there's no problem in keeping them contained while they're learning

Thank you .... It makes me feel sad to do it because they LOVE free ranging around the yard and I absolutely love looking out my windows and seeing them happily clucking around. But hopefully when everyone gets in the swing of things, we can go back to free ranging the majority of the day

 

[catcrazy37]

Thank you .... It makes me feel sad to do it because they LOVE free ranging around the yard and I absolutely love looking out my windows and seeing them happily clucking around. But hopefully when everyone gets in the swing of things, we can go back to free ranging the majority of the day

No problem That's the dream, isn't it? I hope they learn soon.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Since 2013 I always let my girls "free range" in my fenced yard, the last 4 dug holes so deep I could have planted trees in them! So this next batch I've kept confined, felt so horrible & guilty but now ok with it. They are safe & can't get into trouble, got a fence but the neighbors got dogs that love to taunt the chickens. I know where the eggs are & they are "healthier" because of the controlled environment. They're fine & happy girls!

 

[aart]

They'll be OK....don't let them 'guilt' trip you.
It will be very good to habituate them to laying in the coop nests.
I think it's good to have a secure run of adequate size even when free ranging is the dream and get them used to being confined, so if you have to confine them due to predators or other reasons, they are used to it.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

They'll be OK....don't let them 'guilt' trip you.
It will be very good to habituate them to laying in the coop nests.
I think it's good to have a secure run of adequate size even when free ranging is the dream and get them used to being confined, so if you have to confine them due to predators or other reasons, they are used to it.

I am with Aart here, I let mine out randomly, on my schedule. Many days I do not let them out. I want them used to being confined when I leave for a few days/week

Good luck

Gary

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed. My birds come out when and only when I say they can. I let them out yesterday afternoon. Within 2 hours there was a hawk screaming behind their coop. If I could interpret those screams, Hawk would have been saying, "Ok, you chickens, stop being chicken. Come out of the thick weeds and brush. Come out from under the deck. I only want one of you... today! I swear, I'll leave the rest of you alone until tomorrow." That hawk was very close, and very loud.

I use the run to train pullets to the nest. If a pullet gets it in her head that she wants to lay in the yard, that IMO is a difficult habit to break. Certainly, if I was a chicken, I'd be making my own nest in the yard, not laying where that human wants me to!

 

[Bhapimama]

Thank you Everyone for resetting my perspective. I HAVE let those spoiled little brats guilt trip me! My original intention was to do as all of you have recommended. The have a very nice, certainly adequately sized run with a cozy little henhouse. They had me wrapped around their little talons to the point where I was considering moving their henhouse out into the yard and planting my garden in the run!
Today will be the first day that I will not let them out. I WILL be strong! I might bring them some watermelon and maybe a little scratch but they are staying in there!

 

[aart]

I might bring them some watermelon and maybe a little scratch but they are staying in there!

Won't hurt to bring them a few treats to distract them from their change in habitat,
but don't linger feeling all remorseful and stuff
Is there lots of stuff in their run.....stumps, logs, roosts, pallets against wall or up on blocks, old table or chair, few flakes or a bale of straw or hay, lots of stuff you could add to 'enrich' their run with distractions.

ETA:..Oh, and, Grazing Frames!