Two of my chickens are approaching the laying age. They are around 4 months old and are my older chickens by a month (so they will be the first ones to lay!). The male has been crowing for many weeks, and the two hens began getting very red in the face a few weeks ago. However, I am worried they will not use the nesting boxes and will lay on the ground.
When we got the three older chickens (at 10 weeks old), they were housed in a nice chicken tractor with many other birds and were used to being on the ground 100% of the time. When we brought them home to join the younger birds (who LOVE to roost), they refused to use the roosts and stayed on the ground. Now...a month and a half later...they still stay on the ground at all times. In fact, I have NEVER seen those three birds roost or do anything off the ground.
So...since their norm is to always be on the ground, does this mean that the hens will also lay on the ground? Or will some sort of instinct kick in when it's time to lay that will make them go to the nesting boxes?
When we got the three older chickens (at 10 weeks old), they were housed in a nice chicken tractor with many other birds and were used to being on the ground 100% of the time. When we brought them home to join the younger birds (who LOVE to roost), they refused to use the roosts and stayed on the ground. Now...a month and a half later...they still stay on the ground at all times. In fact, I have NEVER seen those three birds roost or do anything off the ground.
So...since their norm is to always be on the ground, does this mean that the hens will also lay on the ground? Or will some sort of instinct kick in when it's time to lay that will make them go to the nesting boxes?
