Laying eggs outside of the nesting box!

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

 

[aggiemae]

We have six hens. I have a "community" nest box and three of our hens lay in it all the time. Sometimes all three even go in at once! The fourth will used the nest box if its empty when she gets the urge but I often find her eggs left in the sand in the coop. Another hen is laying on a cushioned patio chair on the deck. I move her from that spot into the nest box a couple of times each day and have even tried shutting her into the coop (once for three hours) but she always goes back to the chair to lay.. Today I found a (huge) Buff Orp egg there along with the usual RIR egg. I have no idea where the sixth hen is laying I just run into her eggs around the yard once in a while. It's too bad because shes a Wellsummer and her eggs are very pretty.


The hens free range in the yard. are building an enclosed run in hopes that confinement will get then all using the nest box.

 

[jbirds2012]

 

[Westport Chick]

I have 6 four month old hens and it appears that 2 of them are starting to lay (5 eggs this week). The problem is they are laying them in the run. It has been hot here in Wisconsin and maybe that is why they aren't going to the coop to lay. There are nest boxes with Golf balls in the coop. What can I do to get them to lay eggs in the nest boxes? I am worried because today there was a broken egg in the run. Just a shell left.

 

[drumstick diva]

Westport Chick, you are piggybacking on an old thread. You'll get more responses if you start your own new member thread.

 

[aggiemae]

I have 6 four month old hens and it appears that 2 of them are starting to lay (5 eggs this week). The problem is they are laying them in the run. It has been hot here in Wisconsin and maybe that is why they aren't going to the coop to lay. There are nest boxes with Golf balls in the coop. What can I do to get them to lay eggs in the nest boxes? I am worried because today there was a broken egg in the run. Just a shell left.

They don't automatically know to use the box even if you put a golf ball into it. Try putting a temporary nest into the run. A ~12" x 12" shipping box filled with what ever you are using in your nest box. If yo are around during the day and you see a hen using the box put her into the nest box in the coop. Once one of then start laying were you want the rest of them will usually follow.

Shutting them into the coop till late morning would also work but I would not recommend it if it's hot outside but you can try it in the fall if they aren't doing it on their own by then.

 

[Westport Chick]

Thanks for you information. I will try the temporary box in the run. Sorry about the piggyback thread. I am new to this and I don't know how to start a new thread but will work on it.