Training my hens to lay only in their nesting boxes...?

[EurekaSouth]

So far, I've always left my 11 girls in their pen until they had laid at least 8-9 eggs, and then let them out for the day (about one o'clock and when there's someone home) They've been laying for over two months now - can I let them out earlier and they will go back to their nesting boxes to lay or should I always do that? I like to let them out every chance I get.

 

[silkiechicken]

Mine go back to lay their eggs... but I do ocasoinally find eggs on top of the hay pile, and under bushes. I free range sun up to sun down though...

 

[bigzio]

I always keep the girls in til noon to give them a chance to lay and to protect them from the morning predators. They always come back to lay if they need to later in the day. I have some hens that wait til everyone is free ranging and then they choose to lay. I would never allow my hens to free range without someone being home to monitor the flock.

bigzio

 

[ChickieDee]

Keep doing it the way you are for a little bit longer, another month or two. Then they will go back to the nest boxes to lay automatically.

 

[FrozenChicken]

Keeping feed,oyster shell and water near the nestbox will always encourage the hens to lay in them.

 

[devora]

I'm not sure why you would need to wait any longer. Ours learned where to go after a week. And getting back in our coop ain't easy! We haven't had any real issues w/ it.

You could try it for a day and see what happens!

 

[HFC]

Mine go out first thing in the morning and stay 'til dark. When a pullet starts laying or if the coop door accidently gets shut, I'll find one here and there in the bushes-although rare. If they're laying eggs anywhere else, I've yet to find them.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I've always let mine out during the day, but they've always went inside the coop to lay. The firt few months they were laying I didn't even have nest boxes, they just laid the eggs in the corners. When I finally built nest boxes in there, they were lining up to use them before I had even finished. One was jumping up in there while I was trying to work. Before I could collect my tools and head out the door there were three setting in the boxes. They've all laid in the nest boxes ever since.

 

[rooster-red]

If mine are free ranging I just leave the run gate open, they come back to the coop to lay.

 

[debashan]

Mine always go back to lay, even when they're free ranging.