laying on the ground

[lanajc]

What causes a hen to lay on the ground and how do you stop it? I have a hen who was laying in the nesting box and now she is laying on the ground. How do i get her to start laying in the nest again.

 

[loveourbirds]

for some reason she has quit trusting the nest box - or someone else is kicking it out. try moving the nest box to a different location, or putting in another box. put a golf ball or ceramic/wooden egg in there to get her started.

 

[onewing]

I wish i could help i to have the same problem
6 nest for 7 hens is a lil much i think yet still eggs on the floor!!!

 

[CowGrrrl]

for some reason she has quit trusting the nest box - or someone else is kicking it out. try moving the nest box to a different location, or putting in another box. put a golf ball or ceramic/wooden egg in there to get her started.

x2. Wooden eggs painted to match the egg color of the hen laying on the ground always worked best for my flock.

 

[Delight30]

x2. Wooden eggs painted to match the egg color of the hen laying on the ground always worked best for my flock.

that is a great idea.... thanks

 

[loraleaf]

I have similar question I guess
I was very surprised to find a blue/green egg in the nest box last Monday b/c I wasn't expecting this hen to lay yet but oh we'll! Then nothing for a week! I know they are irregular at first but this much surprised me...is that normal? Then my husband was out working on the duck pond and brought in a blue/green egg that he had found in the mud
So was this her first egg? Not the one I found in the box? Or did she lay a second in the mud and the first and 3rd in the box?? What would cause that? And is that egg ok to eat? We assume not b/c we aren't sure when it was laid & it set caked in dirty mud!
TIA

 

[loveourbirds]

i dont eat eggs that are real dirty, some people do. when you wash your eggs make sure to use water that is warmer than they are. if you are unsure of the age of an egg, put it in water - if it floats dont eat it.

ive seen them lay and not lay again for 10-14 days. when she lays in an acceptable place, put in a fake egg- that will usually keep her laying there. sometimes if you take all of their eggs they will change locations.

the egg you found in the mud could have been a duck egg, some do have a green/blue cast to them. when ducks first start laying their eggs are smaller than normal, and could be confused for a chicken egg.