Laying eggs on roost bar

[Heather67]

I hope this is the right thread to post in. A few months ago we had a rat snake infestation under one of coop. We were loosing eggs and found that one snake killed one our hens. We moved the hens to another coop we have just adjacent to that coop. (They shared a large run.) The hens are still laying but I noticed one hen started laying on the roost. Our boards are wide and at first I thought it was a fluke. Three times later I’m thinking something is up. Today another hen laid on the roost. I know it’s a different hen due to egg color. I’m trying to figure out what is going on. Why are they laying on the roost? They will lay eggs some in the nesting boxes but for two hens to lay on the roosting bars makes me wonder if there’s something down in the ground? I do have cameras but have not caught anything on it.

 

[MountainWoman73]

They will lay eggs some in the nesting boxes but for two hens to lay on the roosting bars makes me wonder if there’s something down in the ground?

Where are your boxes located/how high off the ground?

 

[aart]

We moved the hens to another coop we have just adjacent to that coop. (They shared a large run.) The hens are still laying but I noticed one hen started laying on the roost.

They may not be welcome in that coop, so are being 'bullied' away from the nests?
Or just a strange new place and they haven't figure it out yet?

 

[Heather67]

Where are your boxes located/how high off the ground?

They will and have laid since the move and they are familiar with it since most slept in there, but recently have begun to lay on bars.

 

[Heather67]

I tore the nesting boxes up and didn’t find any snakes. I did notice this morning one particular chicken that seemed very distraught and I watched her lay her egg on the roost. She kept squawking and running around the coop while I was cleaning it out and that’s very odd for her. I’m not sure what to make of this egg laying on the roost thing.