My first egg, in the wrong place! see pic

[jkm]

I knew my chickens do not like their coop, its a bad design, but I was hoping they would use the nest box.
they love to run around the 3000 foot yard, but I have been confining them more the past two- three weeks.
Only out for 2 hours after 2 pm, or 4 pm.
Well they talked me into letting them out this morning while I was gardening, plastic egg was smashed in the basket I was hoping they would set in.
At the far end of the garden, one Buff started screaming like a cat was near by, ran down, calmed her down and they all wandered off.
I went down near the arbor to spread mulch and heard a chiken cooing/purring, under the vines at the base of the arbor,
push back the vines and the oldest biggest barred rock is sitting there purring.
Oh my , bet there is an egg.

Rush down to coop, rebuildt the laying box to look like space under the vine, bigger box on side, dry straw mulch, choped the vine and drape it all over the box,
Pick up Miss barrred rock, YES an egg, and transplant them to the new box.
Catch all the girls and put them back in the coop.
I think the egg is not the barreds, I think it was the screaming buff orpinton.

all the girls stuck their heads in the box and looked at the egg,
hope this works. hope I can get rid of the vines in a week
Will keep putting their eggs in to increase odds.

so its soo cool I have an egg.

 

[jkm]

Well I may have more eggs today, girls are over that box and egg

 

[LoneCowboy]

That's funny. Very odd little critters these chickens

 

[MissPrissy]

It reads like you are putting their eggs into a nest. Do you mean putting fake eggs in?

Lock them in where you want them to lay and don't let them out until after they have laid. Teach them to lay where you want them to lay. It really does work.

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

I agree with Miss Prissy since I have been there and done that! I can honestly say though that I have 2 hens that are stubborn and if given the chance will still lay an egg in my sons bed LOL... Don't know why, but they sure like that coffy softness of the bed

Good Luck.... Tes

 

[jkm]

Well ,
the darn girls forgot they were stealth chicks and screamed all sunday afternoon!
they screamed and yelled and hollered!
They wanted to lay in the darn vines. Not in their run.
Had to send the shelties out to tell them to be quiet!
Built another box in the coop, darker than the run... put a tennis ball in and a plastic egg.....and the real egg,,, all ignored
found second buff in box ONE...laying an egg... quietly , UNDER THE CHOPPED VINES, with a teniis ball for company...

damm the barred rocks for howling all afternoon...
can't they wait until monday and everyone has gone to work?
so I have four girls dying to howl and complain until they get back to the vine arbor, dying to lay eggs.
but two eggs now, and I am a great dog trainer, so the girls will comply!
so funny, the leader , a big barred rock, is starting to present to me like I am rooster, so she gets a lot of pets.
I suspect we are in for a restless, screaming week, wish it would rain and drive the last neighbor inside.
I do love my glossy girls, but PLEASE STOP SCREAMIMG TO BE LET OUT. its not gonna happen.
If my shelties start hunting eggs under trees, I will never get a one... smart dogs.

so I think the buffs are laying before the barreds, which is strange, both the barreds look more mature in the comb, and the leaders are the barreds.
Who yell a lot, about opening the run gate.
The buffs are quieter, until the senior buff screamed her head off this am. after which I found a barred on her? egg,
god , I love bird and pet watching.... it is soo cool and fun ....

so am I doing the right thing?
do buffs lay before barreds? esp if barreds run the world?
how long in the run they dislike?
please this is so much fun , keep me posted.
have two eggs, from whom? so much fun ....

 

[MissPrissy]

Take the real eggs out and eat them. Don't leave them out there with the chickens. You should collect them every day.

 

[Windy Ridge]

Miss Prissy's right... and it's not just a matter of not wanting the eggs to go bad. If the girls should accidentally break a a real egg, they can discover what's inside and how good it is to eat! Then they'll start breaking the eggs on purpose, and that is a tough habit to rid them of. It's so tough, some people will get rid of their entire flock and start from scratch.

Even if you're wanting your girls to set the eggs, it's a good idea to collect them, wait for a hen to go broody, and then set the eggs, properly stored for hatching, back underneath her.

It's just so much less risky that way!

 

[jkm]

ok , will try collecting eggs tomorrow, its late tonight and all creatures but me in bed.

girls ripped the nest box apart today, moved eggs all over, played with vines, threw plastic egg at least three feet, did not break real eggs,
no new eggs i can see. did not scream today, so must not be ready to lay.
I wired the crate to the fence, so it can not shift, put all the eggs in and will wait.
will pull real eggs in am, put rubber ball back in and we will see. eggs will happen.
no free chickens for two weeks right?
oh my big barred rock is begging me for sex every time she sees me... sigh,,,, life is tough.....

 

[tx_dane_mom]

Curious...why the tennis ball? I have bought some porcelain eggs & put them in my milk crates...is the tennis ball a semilar thing? But I wouldn't think it would make much sense b/c it's not similar in size/color/smell to a real egg??
Thanks,
Kristi