laying location

[S. Smith]

Hello, this is my first time using this as a method for help.

This past Sunday my chickens laid their first egg. today there was a second one.
This was great news for me although i have a problem. they are laying in the run instead of the nesting boxes.
I have 17 chickens and would like to resolve this issue before they all start laying.

Any help or advice will be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[igorsMistress]

Have you tried fake eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes?
I had one girl who used a corner of the coop until I had chicks in there.

Welcome to BYC you'll get lots of help I'm sure.

 

[S. Smith]

Thanks for the idea. I'll add them to the coop in the morning.

I'm loving BYC already

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
Congrats on your first eggs.

New layers sometimes get caught unawares until they get the hang of it and eggs can pop out in the run or even when they are roosting, so I wouldn't be too concerned at this stage. They will learn how to wait until they get into the nest boxes to lay, once they realise what is happening. Fake eggs may help but you may also find that they get scratched out of the nest boxes. Have they shown any interest in the nest boxes so far..... usually when they are getting close to point of lay you start to see the nesting material disturbed or even kicked out of the boxes. It is a good idea to have a 3-4" lip on the nest boxes to help keep the litter and/or eggs in for this reason.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Congrats!! and welcome to BYC!

I have to say, that even with fake eggs, it may take a while for them to figure it out. I have a couple that are stubborn and insist on laying on the floor of the coop, rather than outside in the nest boxes. And one has been laying for almost 2 months. They'll figure it out eventually.

 

[NikAndHerChicks]

I had a couple of hens that had a little bit of a learning curve too! One of our Leghorns was renamed Tenny because she would wait until we let her out to free range & then sneak into our garage & lay her egg in a pair of sneakers on our shoe rack! Her flock mate would follow her in there and lay her egg behind a new window that was propped up waiting to be installed! They can get creative until they learn the "rules". We had to confine them to their coop & run until they learned that the nesting boxes are the best places to lay their eggs. Once one hen starts laying in there it should start a trend with the rest of them.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I had a couple of hens that had a little bit of a learning curve too! One of our Leghorns was renamed Tenny because she would wait until we let her out to free range & then sneak into our garage & lay her egg in a pair of sneakers on our shoe rack! Her flock mate would follow her in there and lay her egg behind a new window that was propped up waiting to be installed! They can get creative until they learn the "rules". We had to confine them to their coop & run until they learned that the nesting boxes are the best places to lay their eggs. Once one hen starts laying in there it should start a trend with the rest of them.

I can imagine the first time somebody tried to put on their sneaker, or 'tennis shoe' if you will, and found the egg... hopefully before it was crushed by the invading foot! LOL

 

[Latestarter]

I had some that insisted on laying in the deep litter and burying them... they obviously thought they were turtles I don't recall if velociraptors buried their eggs, but don't think so. When I would find their hiding spot, they'd move to a new spot in the litter. Was rather aggravating actually. But it did keep them from freezing solid in deep winter or at least for a little longer anyway.

So welcome and make yourself at home. browse around, there's lots of good stuff here!

 

[NikAndHerChicks]

can imagine the first time somebody tried to put on their sneaker, or 'tennis shoe' if you will, and found the egg... hopefully before it was crushed by the invading foot! LOL

It was my older son's shoe, thankfully. He's slightly more observant than his brother, so there weren't any goopy messes!

 

[Mark Cavalli]

Have you tried fake eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes?
I had one girl who used a corner of the coop until I had chicks in there.

Welcome to BYC you'll get lots of help I'm sure.