Retraining the girls to lay in the box......

[imthedude]

For some time now, production has been sporadic - 9 one day, 5 the next, 7 the next, 9 the next, so on, and I've suspected that one or two of them are laying elsewhere. I became even more suspicious on Saturday when I caught a couple of the buffs singing the song in the garage. One of them was in my dog's bed singing away. My suspicions of a rogue hen or two were confirmed when I found a single egg under a low-growing tree in our backyard on Sunday afternoon. They generally have the run of the yard all day everyday. I kept them locked up yesterday and today in hopes of retraining her and others to lay in the boxes like they have been.

For any of you that have had this problem, how long did it take for your girls to be re-educated on the proper place to lay? I don't really want to walk around the yard looking for miscellaneous eggs here and there.

 

[TigerLilly]

I don't know how you would retrain them, but I don't let mine out to free range until they are done laying for the day.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

Use golf balls in your nests. Keep them locked up for a day or two. Those are the two things I did, and it worked.

 

[MistyValley]

I went through this in the Fall of last year. Found a hidden nest in the barn. So like the other poster, I do NOT let them out until late in the evening for a couple of hours. That way I know most have all layed for the day. With the days getting shorter, most of the free range time will be limited to the weekends. Plus, I have a sneaky small dog that I suspect steals eggs!

So when I do let them out I also collect the eggs then.

 

[imthedude]

i've had balls in the nests since they were 15 weeks old. i too suspect that i have an egg-eating dog, but she can't get to the nests. i only think she eats the ones that might be laid here/there in the yard (or maybe even on her bed).