Laying in the run.

[bills]

It looks like one of my other hens has decided to start laying, although it's been hit and miss the last few days. Three out of the six, all use the same nest, and all go back in to the coop to do their business. Two are not laying at all yet.

The new layer, which has pretty darn small eggs, has decided to just drop the egg in the run. fortunately the other hens haven't decided to make a meal out of them, but that time may come.:|

How the heck can you train a bird to go back in and lay in the nest, if they don't do it instinctively? I hoped she would get the hint from watching the others. Perhaps it still hasn't figured out that it's laying an egg (like I said, they are small eggs) and thinks it's having a poop.....

 

[HobbyChickener]

Can you handle your birds? If so and you know which it is get the egg and her and take them both to where you want it to be.

Does it see the others eggs or is it by itself? It might be that it is the first to lay and just doesn't know here it is suppose to. I have put 3 or 4 golf balls in the nest that I want mine to lay in and leave them there all the time. They seem to think it is an egg and so far always lay in that spot. They have been laying there for a year now and the new layers have followed suit. I do not even take out the golf balls, just collect the eggs that are with them. Good Luck!

 

[wynedot55]

the reason she is laying in the yard maybe this.she is outside in the run when the urge to lay hitts her.so she just squatts an lays where she is.now you could leave emm in the henhouse till all has layed.an then let them out.an she may start laying in there.or you could pen her off an put a nest in with her to lay in.not letting her out till she learns in the nest.

 

[bills]

Quote:
I suspect that this is the case. I have two hens that lay very early in the day, in the nest box. I usually remove these at the same time I let the birds into the run. One other hen goes back in around 2 hours later and lays in the nest box. I remove this egg soon after. (I was always under the impression that the eggs should be removed fairly quickly, so that they don't end up getting eaten.) Perhaps I should leave them in for awhile longer, to see if the new layer gets the picture?

The golf ball idea might work, as I could leave them in the nest box all the time then. I'll see what happens over the next few days. I know that when the very first bird started to lay it layed on the coop floor for a few days, but soon started to use the nest, and has done since. Perhaps this new layer will adapt to it on it;s own as well.