One of my pullets lays under the bushes instead of in the coop - will she ever learn to lay in the c

[likethemall]

One of my pullets who just started laying, an Easter Egger, always lays outside, under the bushes. There is enough space for that in the coop, though. In fact, one of the boxes in the coop has never been used so far by any of my laying chickens. Wonder if there is a way to change the place where she lays and somehow invite her to do that inside the coop instead... I'm quite new to this, so any advice will be appreciated!

 

[Fred's Hens]

I "train" all the pullets. I use a trainer, an older hen, who gives the nubies the Monkey See, Monkey Do lesson. I also do not let point of lay pullets wander about. I want them to have mastered the laying nest I provide first. They are confined to the barn pen and small run until I'm confident they have it mastered.

If I let them out for some free time, it is after 3 or 4 pm, well after 99% of them would ever lay an egg. I also find that nests provided should be low, very low. The instinct of a chicken is to be a ground layer, for the most part. I find working with their instincts works better for me. Nests should be private and dark. This too is what works best for me.

Hope some of these things gives you some ideas to consider. Implement what you think might work. Try it. Trying things is better than accepting the status quo.

 

[likethemall]

Thanks for the advice! I'll try to implement some of that, though it's a bit challenging in my case as i have just a small coop on my backyard and four pullets - 2 barred rocks and 2 easter eggers - who all just started laying at different points of time withing last 4 weeks or so. So, i can't really confine that one, and there is no old, experienced hen around to train her... What i did today though i caught the moment when that easter egger went under the bush, then grabbed her and put into the coop right where the boxes are. At that time one of my barred rocks was sitting there preparing to lay. The easter egger went right to the same box where the barred rock was (though there was another empty box next to it, and quickly laid one right there! Maybe if i keep doing that she will start going there on he own? One strange thing is that all my pullets lay in the same box, the one on the left side of the coop. There is an identical one on the right side, but none of them ever laid in that one... I wonder why and whether that can be somehow changed...