My hens are angry

[Beckyloo]

My hens have allways laid under the coop. It is a space about 10 in high. The other day one of the laid an egg under there. Since I didn't want this to be a regular thing I close that spot off to them. Now they are destroying the coop. Taking all the hay out of the nesting boxes, moving all the pine shavings out of the coop through there coop door. How do I stop this? They are RIR and mean. Now they are pecking harder and more often at me when I come in the coop. I smack there heads when they do this but that is not helping. Any advise on how tho get them to lay eggs in the nest boxes and stop naking a mess of the coop?

 

[Den in Penn]

You didn't say so I'll guess they are just starting to lay. When pullets start to investigate where to lay they tend to scatter the nesting mete rials. They also tend to show the bad side of their character.

 

[Beckyloo]

Yes they are just starting to lay. Just like teenagers can't tell the nothing. and they wil do the oppisite of what I want. -

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

This is why I tell everyone RIR's are mean. But then we got some. And they are so sweet.

Yes young hens investigating the nest box scatter materials, as for being meaner- Maybe they thought you were mean for destroying there 'home makeover' ? LOL

 

[Nicole01]

Once they lay they should settle down. My RIR hen attacked me full force 3 times in her teen stage. Once she started to lay, she had a change of attitude and is very sweet. She loves laying next to me or sit on my lap.