Retrain a hen?

[cmom]

I tried this but he wouldn't order the measly 50# a month I needed, even tho he order other formulations of the same brand.

He's just being (can't think of the word). The fellow that owns the store down the road from me will order 1 bag or a pallet for me. He just put 3 bags (150 lbs) of chick starter on my order. My order goes in on Monday and delivery is on Wednesday.

 

[aart]

He's just being (can't think of the word).

Yes, yes he is...can think of several words.

 

[cmom]

I can think of a few words but don't know the fellow.

 

[lazy gardener]

I can also think of some words. Unless you live in a wilderness area, there are usually competitors who would like your business.

 

[springvalley123]

FWIW, I free ranged my pullets starting when they were about a month old, then put up the nest boxes with bedding and ceramic eggs as point of lay approached, so they learned where to lay. They are brown leghorns, just under a year old now.

 

[Mimi13]

Do you really get feed that's less than a month from MFG date...brand name commercial feed? Typical here is more than that, am lucky to get less than 6 weeks. Are there studies? It just doesn't seem reasonable and wonder what the median 'age' is.

I wonder this as well. The bag I just bought this past Saturday, 7/14, had a manufacture date of 6/4. That is about average for me. The feed was Purina Flock Raiser, purchased at TSC in Anniston, AL.

 

[Mimi13]

Yes, I do. I do not do business with TSC b/c their feed is almost always old. Almost always, the feed I buy is within 2 weeks of mill date. I do not stock a lot of extra feed, but when my flock size is "up", I can buy enough at one time to take advantage of the $10.00 off when you spend $50 coupons. My source is referenced in the Small flock book by Harvey Ussery. I've quoted him many times, and prefer to take the word of someone who does not stand to make a profit from his nutritional advice statements. It's common knowledge that grains start to oxidize as soon as they are milled.

This is disheartening to read. I really thought I was getting decently fresh food for my flock. Oh me, I guess I need to look for a different brand or different store. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

 

[Mimi13]

Do you still have the original hens? Are they still laying? If so, the youngsters MAY follow the older hens, and mimic their behavior. If you have a run, you might just take a "wait and see" approach. Put some fake eggs in the nest boxes, make them nice and comfy with lots of hay for them to "rearrange to their liking". Or you could take a preemptive approach. Wait until you see signs that those first eggs are due to arrive (squatting for you, or being bred by a mature rooster, singing the egg song, or spending a lot of time "playing house" in the nest boxes. When you see those signs, block them into coop and run. This is one reason why it's important for your birds to have a run, even if you let them free range EVERY day.

Yes, my originals are still laying, but my problem is they are not in the new coop with the littles. Their coop and run is right next door to the new coop and run. All 27 birds mix and mingle in both coops and runs and yard during the day, but the originals still lay and roost in the old coop. I’ve been mulling it over in my head just how I should go about combining them into the one new coop. It was built to house all my birds, at some point anyway. Actually today as I was in the new coop piddling, two of my originals came in to see me and I had a thought. One at a time, I picked them up and put them on the nestbox perch and they each climbed right on in. One of the hens scratched and picked around and rolled the fake egg up underneath her. It was cute to see her doing this.

I figured I would have to lock the hens in the new coop for several days and displace their old coop/run in the meantime, but I just wasn’t quite sure how that would work while still letting the littles out in the mornings. Then I thought I just might wait until the littles begin laying and lock all of them up for a few days. But the problem I have with that is even though they are all fine together out in the yard, the originals still run the littles off from the food and water. That’s why I have five different feed/water stations throughout the coops/runs/yard. It works that way. The four hens can’t be in all 5 places at once. Haha! I outsmarted a chicken. Yay me!
Oh lord, so much to think about. I’m really hoping the girls work this one out for me. I know, I’m dreaming!

 

[Coop de Grass]

Lock em up.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.


You could bed the nests and use fakies until the youngsters get in the habit,
then slowly remove bedding to go back to roll away.

@aart has some logical advice! Keep them inside the coop and run. They will have to lay their eggs somewhere in that space. If they lay in the run, confine them to the coop... I've never seen a hen with her knees crossed, refusing to lay.

 

[ScottKelly1974]

I've had this issue. My lead hen played in the nest box, then decided to lay under the deck. Then a new hen started laying under some old wood. When I found those eggs, I took them and she then layed under the deck. I locked them in for a while and closed off the space under the deck. They have been laying in the next boxes since then.

What my hens like are small dark private places. See if your nest boxes fit that requirement.