Laying boxes, eggs, and picky hens

[Eric R]

I have a couple hens that dont lay in the laying boxes but will lay in the shelf in my garage whenever I open the door. If I haven't been allowing them into the garage anymore and they're still not laying in the boxes, is it safe to say they are laying somewhere else or not laying at all? The are my only 2 marans and so we really want some of those eggs.

 

[imnukensc]

They're laying somewhere else.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Put a fake egg in their nest & coop them up for a few days. It's early but time for an Easter Egg Hunt

 

[aart]

You've had this problem before:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/not-laying-in-laying-boxes.1211954/

 

[Eric R]

You've had this problem before:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/not-laying-in-laying-boxes.1211954/

Haha. Not quite. That post was back in dec and these are not the same hens. Back then, these had stopped laying due to the change of season. They started laying again in a different spot in late jan (in the shelf in the garage) and this time I was mostly wondering if they were holding on to their egg in hopes that they would soon get access to the shelf again. I'll be putting up a barrier fence soon so I'll find out soon enough since they'll only have the option to lay in the boxes or on the ground in the open.

 

[aart]

Different birds but same nest scenario,
tells the tale of set up needing to change

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[Eric R]

Well the barrier netting went up and vuala maran eggs! It also seems a few of the younger cochin hens I thought might have been laying in a secret spot somewhere have not actually started laying yet. May need to add more boxes. There are sometimes 1 or 2 hens waiting in line now that I've blocked off there other laying places.

 

[ChickNanny13]

You could add more nest boxes but if that one is their "favorite" they will wait & ignore the others and no harm in trying. You could put a fake egg in the added nest boxes, that may interest them.