Laying/nesting in random places

[forestrymom]

I haven't seen any shells, and we don't have anything in the coop. Its cement floor. We don't have snakes. It could be a raven or skunk getting into the eggs if they're laying them someplace besides the coop, but I am in and out of there all day long. The coop is attached to the barn, and we spend a lot of time there. It could be the cold--its been snowing here and was nice, so maybe that's it.

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

We just tried the fake egg thing and half the flock fell for it. I'm waiting for the others to catch on. I used plastic easter eggs. As far as the egg eating - I read somewhere to take an egg, blow out the shell and fill it with hot mustard, put it back in the nest for the thief to take. The book said one or two of those eggs would cure the egg thief.

 

[ThaiChick]

I've read thru all the current post about random egg laying. I'm already doing what has been suggested, i.e. fake eggs in nesting boxes. And this problem seems to be inconsistent. I'll find eggs in the middle of the yard, on the floor of the house, and just outside the nesting boxes. I even found one in the run laying in two inches of mud! A couple times the eggs were cracked like they literally fell out of the hen. Most of the hens use the boxes, but I suspect the phantom egg layer is one or two hens. How do I get them to comply?

 

[terryg]

If the hens are eating eggs, you'll usually see tell-tale yellow smears on their beaks and feathers. Also, egg-eating can be a side-effect of thin-shelled eggs. I would keep the hens in for two days and see who is laying, how many eggs are produced and if any are being eaten. Then, using that information, decide on a plan. One thing to do for chickens who hide eggs is to keep them in until they lay, and then let them free-range. Fake eggs are a good idea (they'll even sit on colorful plastic easter eggs if you have them.) Making sure that the nesting boxes are welcoming is important. If the sun has shifted with the change of seasons and they're all of a sudden too sunny, the hens will look elsewhere. If a predator has been lurking, etc. they'll look elsewhere.
Good luck!

 

[ThaiChick]

Well there is no egg eating with my hens so I guess I should be thankful!