PLEASE........ADVICE!!!***THE most stubborn chicken!!! HELP !!!! ***

[renewistrombaker]

Ive posted here before- was wondering why 2 of my 4 hens had stopped laying for a few weeks!.... later found a nest hidden in the ivy behind the garage with 30 eggs !! Cleared out the ivy that day.
So my chickens have a large coop with a hen house/nesting boxes and they are out in my small yard all day free ranging with access to the coop. 3 hens are happily laying in the nest boxes again after the ivy fiasco- however, this one gal just WONT lay in the nests unless i lock them all in the coop for the morning. She repeatedly insists on laying at the far corner behind my garage behind some boards I put up to deter her and lay her eggs there!!!

Can she be trained? Locking them in the coop works but they arent totally pleased with that and shes the last to lay. I could leave her alone but she hates to be away from the flock, it seems unfair.
Or do I give up and put a straw nest in that corner and resign myself to fetching her eggs in the mud this cold winter??

Input really appreciated !!!

Thanks
Rene'

 

[sunket77]

bump

hope you get an answer.. I have no idea!

 

[Kiwi Chicky]

I'm currently having the same prob with one of my EE

She keeps laying under the sleepout.

So at the moment they are all shut in their shed/run which is quite big, hopefully she won't get out like she did yesterday

Hubby is going to board up around the base of the sleepout this weekend.
And make some new nesting boxes - apparently they like to lay in something that has a roof?

Have you tried the golf balls in the nest?

I'll watch here for more options too

 

[renewistrombaker]

Hi Kiwi Chicky-
Yes I ve done better than golf balls, Ive used several of the 30 eggs I found in the ivy !! I have a nest box that is large (4 feet wide, 3 feet deep) with roosting spot and a separate nest box that has 2 nests and a litter box with straw too- so thats 3 spots. This other chicken, Tarragon is her name, just wants to be hidden.... I think she doesnt like that I take her eggs. Anybody have a degree in chicken psychiatry??

Let me know what you find out !

You can e mail me at [email protected]

Thanks

 

[CMV]

I have an almost 2 y.o. hen that lays eggs in the woods. She has always done that and I have resigned myself to the fact that she probably always will. At least I know where she goes so I know where to look. When she started I never knew where she was going- her nest is well hidden- and when I finally found her nest it was loaded with eggs, too.

Silly chickens.

 

[embkm]

A few things I would try:

1. Remove the boards from her favorite place. If she likes to be hidden, maybe removing the baords to make it open will deter her from laying there. Another option is to completely chicken-proof it to where she can't get to that spot. Of Course this won't really get her to lay in your boxes.. she just might find a new spot to her liking.

2. Build a little sheltered nest box for her in her favorite spot. It would still mean you's have to check 2 places, but at least the egg would be out of the mud.

3. Just leave her in the coop until she lays. Let the others out and leave her in. After doing this for a few weeks, maybe she will be more inclinded to lay in the coop. You didn't say, but if your nests aren't covered in your coop, you might want to try that. You mentioned a litter box nest.. is it a covered one? I have one of those, it's always been a favorite spot for my girls. They ignored the open litter box nest I had in there.

 

[Namble]

Quote:
Good idea.