Sneaky hens :th

[Portia]

My hens have just started laying, well one of them, so I have been keeping a close eye on the rest for any laying behaviours. They are free range, so that means walking the yard several times a day and my morning tea out on the deck watching them closely. In the last 2 days I've noticed tell-tale behaviours from one of my SS, so she has been in my radar. She has occasionally been outside fence in the woods, so I have combed the woods for any nests. This morning she was on the outside of the fence by my little mini orchard, I saw her there 2 days ago, trying to get back in. I went and collected her up and found a clutch of 11 eggs nestled next to the side of the barn. Guess I was right, she in laying mode

. I collected the 11 eggs and her and put them all in one of the nesting boxes. She hopped out and headed back over to her old nest area and laid another egg. Guess its time to shut them in the coop until the morning laying has commenced. Sneaky birds.

 

[HaileyandJoliesMom]

My BO is doing the same thing, only I cant find her nest, but some of the brush outside the horse pasture is pretty thick. She is locked up until she lays in the coop!!!

 

[Portia]

I know they are not going to be happy tomorrow when they are stuck in the coop for the morning. I'm hoping they will do their thing by 10 AM. It's supposed to be awful hot tomorrow, so I don't want to leave them in past noon cause they like the coolness of the woods. Two of my hens are now laying in a nest my roo made for them up on the deck beneath some stacked chairs. I don't mind them laying there, as its right outside the door & both convenient and safe. But outside the fence in the woods....ugh, no.

 

[HaileyandJoliesMom]

Mine can lay anywhere in the yard but NOT in the horses pastures!!! Dixie my mare follows me around while im looking for them, Im afraid she will step on the eggs

 

[spook]

I keep mine in until they have given me 3 eggs out of 5. Its like they know! (I realize they don't, but by 10am I usually get 3 eggs and that means the skunk or racoon can have the rest.

 

[Portia]

I left the chickens in the coop until 8 AM (I gave in, couldn't stand it any longer...I love, love, love to watch them roaming the yard in the early morning looking for goodies). Three hens laid yesterday, all in the nest boxes...including the little girl that was flying over the fence. Here's the interesting thing. When I let them out, no one had yet laid; so all 3 of them went back in the coop to lay a bit later in the morning/day. No eggs outside the fence or in the 'nest box' on the deck. Maybe it worked? Just for behavioral experimentation, I let them out at the normal time this morning (daybreak....I guess around 5:30). We shall see if they go back into the coop to lay or need a longer training period than one morning (which won't surprize me if they do...but gotta try) Its the behaviorist in me.

 

[Portia]

The SS that was laying outside the fence laid in the nest boxes this morning

Guess that answers my question about her. I noticed one hen up on the deck in their makeshift 'nest', but when she left there was no egg. I just went down to count the girls (precaution and way to find if anyone is off setting in an obscure place) and found the rooster fixing up the coop nest boxes for a gaggle of watching girls. He was cooing up a storm while arranging the straw in one box after another while the 6 girls watching waited patiently. This is looking good for continued use of the nest boxes for laying