RSL not laying yet

[aart]

....or.... you could lock em up for time.

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 3-4 days (or longer) 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 24/7 for a few days to a week, 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.

 

[Lost Farmer]

So now we've been stuck on 20 a day for the past few days. But I found the secret guinea nest with 17 eggs out in the woods last week. This morning I found 5 RSL eggs in my work shop behind a bunch of plywood. Rather than run them out of the shop and lock the doors, my wife made them a nest so they will be more comfortable there. I may be getting 2 dozen a day, if I go on the egg hunt Lost Farmer suggested.

I use to find eggs all over the **** place, any where from the hay storage to the bed of my truck, to the leaf piles i use to use as bedding for them. They will lay anywhere.

 

[Dmontgomery]

We started getting about 25-26 eggs per day last Friday. Then we suddenly started losing a chicken a day. Something (probably a fox) took one while they were scratching in the woods Sunday. Another Monday and Tuesday. Plus my son's pit bulls got out of their pen and took another one from around my shop. All told we lost 1 chick and 4 RSL layers. We locked all the chickens up Tuesday night and they won't free range until we catch/kill the predator.
They are not happy and I figured egg production would drastically drop with the new confinement and loss of hens. Today we got 28! A new record. Aart was right again. If I had listened a week ago and locked them down, I would have gotten more eggs and wouldn't have lost the chickens.