One behavior & one concern

[MyGirlDitto]

Good Rising to you all! I have 9 Easter Eggers, 5 Olive Eggers, and 1 Salmon Faverolle

(Behavior)
I have 15 teenage chickens. A couple of them have started laying and I have no idea which ones they are. The issue is they are free rangers with a run and coop for when they go to bed. They are laying out in the wilderness. I live on 10 acres and they seem to be laying where ever they want. Is there a way to train them to lay in the nesting boxes in their coop?

(Concern)
Two of the eggs that we have found have had very soft shells, I would even call them pliable. The first one was not even completely closed up, I could see the yoke. The second one my husband found (I was not home so I did not see it) was completely formed but still very soft. I have received about 6 solid eggs before these two were found. I didn't know if this could be because they are only about 4 1/2 months old or if there is something I should be looking for. They are very active and free range all day.

Thank you in advance,
B~

 

[nuthatched]

Good morning, having a few soft eggs is normal for new layers however, do they get fed at all?
As for laying all over, most chickens are done laying by noon so keep them locked up until then, also add fake eggs to the boxes.

 

[bobbi-j]

If your coop and run are big enough to comfortably do so, I'd lock the chickens in for a week or so to (hopefully) retrain them to laying in the nest boxes. I don't have anything to offer for the soft shells, other than to offer oyster shell and make sure they're getting a good layer feed.

 

[MyGirlDitto]

If your coop and run are big enough to comfortably do so, I'd lock the chickens in for a week or so to (hopefully) retrain them to laying in the nest boxes. I don't have anything to offer for the soft shells, other than to offer oyster shell and make sure they're getting a good layer feed.

Good morning, having a few soft eggs is normal for new layers however, do they get fed at all?
As for laying all over, most chickens are done laying by noon so keep them locked up until then, also add fake eggs to the boxes.

Hi! Yes, they have access to layer feed all day in their run.

I do have any automatic door that I can set a timer on so that they stay in till noonish.

Thank you

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile people will be able to give you better-targeted advice.

It's fairly common for new layers to have some wonky eggs while they work the glitches out of their systems.

The usual way of teaching ranging hens that the nests provided are the best place to lay is to confine them to their coop and secure run for a week or so in order to form the habit of laying in the boxes.

 

[MyGirlDitto]

Thank you. I can try that, I am not sure that the coop and run are large enough. Between the coop and run it is it is 30 feet long and 6 feet wide but I feel like that is small for 15 chickens.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you. I can try that, I am not sure that the coop and run are large enough. Between the coop and run it is it is 30 feet long and 6 feet wide but I feel like that is small for 15 chickens.

It's fine for them to be in until they get the hang of the nest boxes. :]

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you. I can try that, I am not sure that the coop and run are large enough. Between the coop and run it is it is 30 feet long and 6 feet wide but I feel like that is small for 15 chickens.

Probably OK for a week or 2. Just watch for trouble.