Laying all over the place!

[eksterhuis]

I have a mixed flock of birds (bantams, small and large birds) who until recently (when I got some new birds) have been laying regularly in their nesting boxes (there is lots of space for them to lay though they tend to sit on top of each other and lay in one place!). Now the new birds have begun to lay on the floor in the chook house rather than in the nesting boxes and my older hens seem to be joining in (not all of them but quite a few).

Any tips for getting them all to lay in the right place. They seem pretty determined to lay on the floor, not in the plastic boxes I have set up on the floor for them (to at least have them being laid somewhere I can find easily, not under layers of straw!) I have thought about golf balls etc but I have about 10 laying in the correct place and about 4-6 elsewhere. I have tried to make the plastic boxes look nest like filled with a hollow of straw. I was thinking if they laid in them I could move them up onto the nesting box and hopefully they would get the idea, but I guess they didn't read my mind!)

Also it's summer here in New Zealand, so it's not a winter daylight hours question but they have recently dropped in the amount they are laying even though the number of birds has increased... The new birds have been there about 2 weeks and I though they would have all settled into their laying routine by now! Some are moulting but not that many. Is there any way to speed up moult?

Any tips would be super, I'm pretty new to this chicken stuff (but loving it!!!)

Thanks

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

May times, my pullets lay their first egg (and sometimes 2nd) egg on the ground and then figure it out. You don't mention the number of nestboxes you have for them? I think the general rule of them is about 1 nestbox per 4 hens. If you happen to have a nestbox shortage, they may not be able to wait their turn. If you have plenty of nestboxes, but the nests are being ignored, I would go ahead and put fake eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes not being used. Now that you have new layers, this would be a good time for your younger hens to adopt the nestboxes your older hens won't lay in.

 

[Mahonri]

I have 7 nest boxes and all of my birds use two of them and in an emergency 3. and sometimes I'll still get an egg on the ground or the coop floor.

Go figure.

 

[OwlLover]

WHY. Just WHY.

 

[mstricer]

I have a mixed flock of birds (bantams, small and large birds) who until recently (when I got some new birds) have been laying regularly in their nesting boxes (there is lots of space for them to lay though they tend to sit on top of each other and lay in one place!). Now the new birds have begun to lay on the floor in the chook house rather than in the nesting boxes and my older hens seem to be joining in (not all of them but quite a few).

Any tips for getting them all to lay in the right place. They seem pretty determined to lay on the floor, not in the plastic boxes I have set up on the floor for them (to at least have them being laid somewhere I can find easily, not under layers of straw!) I have thought about golf balls etc but I have about 10 laying in the correct place and about 4-6 elsewhere. I have tried to make the plastic boxes look nest like filled with a hollow of straw. I was thinking if they laid in them I could move them up onto the nesting box and hopefully they would get the idea, but I guess they didn't read my mind!)

Also it's summer here in New Zealand, so it's not a winter daylight hours question but they have recently dropped in the amount they are laying even though the number of birds has increased... The new birds have been there about 2 weeks and I though they would have all settled into their laying routine by now! Some are moulting but not that many. Is there any way to speed up moult?

Any tips would be super, I'm pretty new to this chicken stuff (but loving it!!!)

Thanks

Are they the bantams that are laying on the floor ?

 

[eksterhuis]

Are they the bantams that are laying on the floor ?

It seems to be a couple of bantams, one sebright definatly though a couple lay in the nesting boxes too... But there are some large birds joining in! This morning I have re golf allied all the nesting boxes which do not get used. There are 4 large nesting boxes but they only use 1 really it's obviously the most desirable place for my older hens to lay. I have another smaller hen house but that has been closed off for the last 3 weeks with a Cheryl grumpy broody due on Saturday, I'll move her as soon as the chicks have hatched. The bantams may prefer the other house? Who knows!

 

[OwlLover]

Anyways, have you tried placing golf balls and fake eggs in the boxes?

 

[eksterhuis]

Anyways, have you tried placing golf balls and fake eggs in the boxes?

Yes I have got golf balls in there, just checked now (just got home from work) and there were 13 eggs altogether, 10 in nesting boxes (2 bantams) and 3 on the ground in the corner, 2 bantams and 1 large and a large hybrid hen sitting on the ones on the ground about to lay... Now she used to lay in the nesting boxes, why is she being so lazy!!!

 

[eksterhuis]

Any chook whisperers out there? Anyone got any other ideas for getting my chooks to behave, I've read the manual on chicken ownership, I just wish my chickens would play by the rules!

 

[chookhead]

U noe what turn that corner into another nest and get over it she will lay there because she chose her spot lol cover it and mke it a little bit more private and ur done lol that's the only solution I have for u