- Jul 16, 2010
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Hello, I read a lot of the threads here but don't post. I have question and need advice. Sorry for the lenghty post.
This is my first flock. We got 10 RIR hens in April, and are free range with a nice coop they go into every night. The coop has a few roosts and nesting boxes in place, with the dummy eggs in them.
Yesterday I went to close up the coop at night, and noticed an egg laying on the floor of the coop, broken, underneath the roost. I believe that the hen must have layed it while sitting on the roost, sometime during the day, but I can't be sure. It may have been there in the morning and I just missed it when I opened up the door to let them out. This was the first sign of eggs, so I was excited.
Today I kept my eye on the flock, and noticed a few wandered off into the weeds on the edge of the yard, then came out squawking and making a fuss. Then a few more went into those weeds, and came out squawking, and it made me suspicious. I went over and found a hen laying there, and a few eggs around her. I assumed she was going to lay an egg, so I picked her up and carried her to the coop and placed her into a nesting box. She scratched around in there for a bit, then sat down. 3 hours later she still hasn't come out of the box, and hasn't laid an egg.
Also, I found over 20 eggs in that area in the weeds, mostly all laid within a hula hoop sized circle. I'm guessing some or most of the hens have been laying eggs there for a week or so without me knowing.
So I have 2 questions. #1 - Is that hen I placed in the nesting box sitting there getting ready to lay, or is she thinking of brooding over the fake egg? I'm wondering if she was sitting on all the older eggs in the weeds brooding them, or if she was just getting ready to lay one there. #2 - Is there a good way for me to re-train the flock to use the nesting boxes instead of the weeds?
This is my first flock. We got 10 RIR hens in April, and are free range with a nice coop they go into every night. The coop has a few roosts and nesting boxes in place, with the dummy eggs in them.
Yesterday I went to close up the coop at night, and noticed an egg laying on the floor of the coop, broken, underneath the roost. I believe that the hen must have layed it while sitting on the roost, sometime during the day, but I can't be sure. It may have been there in the morning and I just missed it when I opened up the door to let them out. This was the first sign of eggs, so I was excited.
Today I kept my eye on the flock, and noticed a few wandered off into the weeds on the edge of the yard, then came out squawking and making a fuss. Then a few more went into those weeds, and came out squawking, and it made me suspicious. I went over and found a hen laying there, and a few eggs around her. I assumed she was going to lay an egg, so I picked her up and carried her to the coop and placed her into a nesting box. She scratched around in there for a bit, then sat down. 3 hours later she still hasn't come out of the box, and hasn't laid an egg.
Also, I found over 20 eggs in that area in the weeds, mostly all laid within a hula hoop sized circle. I'm guessing some or most of the hens have been laying eggs there for a week or so without me knowing.
So I have 2 questions. #1 - Is that hen I placed in the nesting box sitting there getting ready to lay, or is she thinking of brooding over the fake egg? I'm wondering if she was sitting on all the older eggs in the weeds brooding them, or if she was just getting ready to lay one there. #2 - Is there a good way for me to re-train the flock to use the nesting boxes instead of the weeds?
