Pullet that doesn't know she's laying an egg?

[gritsar]

One of my now 20 week old pullets is laying sporadically - I've gotten 5 eggs from the juvenile coop in the past two weeks. I haven't identified the culprit, but several of the pullets look like they could be guilty.

The thing is, I'm finding the eggs on the floor of their coop, not even in a hidden corner, but just here and there. No attempt to make an nest in the shavings, nothing. It's like the pullet is just dropping them without realizing it.

I've taken each egg and added it to the golf balls in the nestboxes. She still doesn't make the connection.

Any way to help a clueless hen?

 

[shaggy]

you could always lock her in the nest during the day ... or maybe 3-4 hours during the day

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thought about it, but first I have to figure out which pullet is laying them.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Is she your first layer? When my birds were all young, I had one start laying a couple of weeks before the others. She always layed on the floor. When I blocked her favored corner, she just started using another corner! But then I had several birds finally check out the nesting boxes (that had been installed for 6 weeks or more) and they began laying on the same day - all in the nest boxes

Within two days, my floor layer began using the boxes and I never had a problem w/her again.

She just may not "get it" yet that the box is a safe place to leave her eggs.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
She is my first layer. I believe there's only one girl laying, since the eggs look identical. I'm pretty sure it's Ivy, one of my turkens that's laying. She really looks ready, although I haven't seen her squat for the roo. It could be one of the cornish X girls, they've been squatting for the roo for several weeks now, but the eggs I'm finding are tiny.
Many of the pullets have checked out the nestboxes. I haven't seen anyone in them yet, but I am finding a few loose feathers in them, so I know somebodys been inside.