teaching a chicken where to lay.

[barnbum204]

So we now have three hens laying and two of them are laying in the nesting box like we want and the third one is special. Every sense we moved her into the coop she roosts on this bar that's about three or four feet off the ground it was never a problem until now...she's been sitting on that bar to lay her eggs and has broken three of the four eggs she's layed....any suggestions to encourage her not to lay her eggs from this spot or any other suggestions to solve this problem we cannot remove the bar as that is where we hang our waterer from. Here is a pic of her roosting in her favorite spot and yes there is many other roosts to pick from in the coop this was never intended to be a roost

 

[GitaBooks]

I've had a hen do that once or twice, but not regularly. The unique hens are always fun, but certainly a pain too.

Have you tried putting a bored or even a nest box up there, just for her? You could block up there with some wood or wire and add some fake eggs to the nest boxes down lower to entice her to lay down there.

Best of luck!

 

[barnbum204]

We were considering doing putting a nesting box up there just for her and didn't want to block it off entirely as being up there makes her happy. I'm hoping it's because she is new to laying...only being laying less then a week...I guess time will tell thanks for the ideas. And we did use the ping pong ball in the box trick worked for two of the three that had started laying hope it works for the rest once they start as well....

 

[feedthewilling]

So I'm to understand if you put golf balls in the nesting box it will teach them where to lay? Thanks My girls just started to lay last week. Any other ways ??

 

[GitaBooks]

I use real eggs as my "bait eggs". I just mark them so I know to throw them out when I collect the eggs, since they'll be old by then.

 

[feedthewilling]

Golf balls work.Very first day it worked. I going to keep them in there for now.with golf balls no worries.no old eggs,no broken eggs,no way they will eat a golf ball. FOUR.....lol maybe if I put in a softball the eggs will be bigger.

 

[barnbum204]

Yea we have ping pong balls in our nesting boxes