New to backyard chickens, egg laying help

[ijatiyeh]

My girls follow me but it took awhile....I used corn and blueberries. As far as the egg laying dilemma I looked up online and there were some ideas on how to train them to do the laying in the nesting area ...I’ll see if can copy link here ....it is an adventure for sure

 

[ijatiyeh]

https://www.thespruce.com/get-hens-lay-eggs-nest-boxes-3016774

 

[ILoveBabySilkies]

You can put a fake egg in the nesting box so she knows that’s a good place to lay since “other hens” have laid in the same spot.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have not been able to get the chicks in at night so I leave the coop door open that is connected to the run where this happened. Any advice on how to get her in the nesting box? I’ve tried the light method and food to lure them in at night and nothing is working.

So the chickens aren't using the coop at all?

Photos of the coop, inside and out from multiple angles would be great, to help troubleshoot.

Possible reasons are: coop too stuffy/poorly ventilated, too dark, too small, too hot, pests such as mites (unlikely if this is a new set up).

 

[Crocco7]

Little update. Found another egg later in the day today also a light pink but a little harder then yesterday. They are definitely sex links. Do young hens normally lay at night? I am currently trying the locking them in the coop for a couple days method to see if they can finally call it home. Also I am posting some photos if anyone has any tips for coop ideas and or why only 2 of the hens from the same litter are maturing faster. Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

[gmtMasterB]

Looks a bit tight in there for the birds. Maybe it’s just me?

 

[Crocco7]

I was thinking the same because I don’t understand chicken math. The coop instructed that it can hold 8-10 hens and I only have 4.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do young hens normally lay at night? I am currently trying the locking them in the coop for a couple days method to see if they can finally call it home. Also I am posting some photos if anyone has any tips for coop ideas and or why only 2 of the hens from the same litter are maturing faster. Any thoughts are appreciated!

Young hens can lay whenever, as they work out the kinks in their system.

Coop is way too small to safely lock them in. The recommended minimum on here it 4 sq ft per chicken (that's inside the coop portion, not including nests). The big window on the side helps but I'd pop open the small one too to try and catch some crossbreeze. Also how hot is your climate, as much of the US right now has been hit by heat waves recently?

As far as why half the hens are maturing faster, even with sex links, chickens are all individual and each matures at it's own rate, sort of like how human children hit puberty at different ages.

 

[DeuceyG1335]

Hey my orpingtons are only 16weeks old and one produced a soft pink like egg that cracked. There was 2 eggs that I found this morning, everywhere online says this is to soon for egg laying to start. Any suggestions? I have 4 orpingtons and 2 of them have red combs and the other 2 do not, can I switch feed?

Those are golden comets, not Orpingtons. Comets are supposed to start laying at 16 weeks. There combs are supposed to looks like that as they get older it will be red, I’ve got 18 week old golden comets and there combs are like that too.

 

[orloffer]

I was thinking the same because I don’t understand chicken math. The coop instructed that it can hold 8-10 hens and I only have 4.

I agree with the others who have said that that coop space is too small for your hens. Apparently a lot of pre-fab coop instructions do not seem to completely match with reality. Good luck with your flock, and welcome to BYC!