Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Rainier]

You have some sneaky hens! I finally broke mine of laying everywhere. I literally followed them for an entire day. I took their eggs and put some of each in the nest boxes, tore up all of the nests in the yard, cut ferns/bushes to discourage them from making more and gave them a stern talkin to. They have been laying in their boxes since!

edited to add quote

The stern talking to didn't work. Not only are they sneaky but stubborn! I'm going to have to figure out a way to block off the shed from the girls since clipping their wings did nothing to deter them from going in the front yard!

 

[Rainier]

Just got DH out the door, lunch in hand!

We are at code GREEN!

Let it begin

 

[catface]

When my pullets started laying in sneaky places, like under the deck, I just kept them grounded in the coop for a week. If they wanted to lay an egg, it had to be in the coop. After that week they always went back in the coop to lay. It seems like once they get used to a particular nesting place they always go back to it. I've also heard that if you find a nest in an "inappropriate" place to smash the eggs and the hen will realize it's not a safe place to lay, but I don't have the heart to smash perfectly good eggs and my hens will eat a broken egg in a heartbeat anyhow. They never purposely break an egg but if one cracks by accident or if I drop it, they are quick to eat it.

 

[CharterChick]

The stern talking to didn't work. Not only are they sneaky but stubborn! I'm going to have to figure out a way to block off the shed from the girls since clipping their wings did nothing to deter them from going in the front yard!

Determined! I switched out my nesting material and put store bought eggs in the nests. They rolled the store eggs out and laid theirs in there. Having an intruder egg was not going to happen. Lol

Just got DH out the door, lunch in hand! We are at code GREEN! Let it begin

I did the same thing! DH would leave and another coop would get built and more chickens would show up... I told him at least I don't have a drinking, drug or gambling problem... He said it's worse I have a chicken addiction!

When my pullets started laying in sneaky places, like under the deck, I just kept them grounded in the coop for a week. If they wanted to lay an egg, it had to be in the coop. After that week they always went back in the coop to lay. It seems like once they get used to a particular nesting place they always go back to it. I've also heard that if you find a nest in an "inappropriate" place to smash the eggs and the hen will realize it's not a safe place to lay, but I don't have the heart to smash perfectly good eggs and my hens will eat a broken egg in a heartbeat anyhow. They never purposely break an egg but if one cracks by accident or if I drop it, they are quick to eat it.

I could never break the egg! I'd feel like that's a waste of food.

 

[Rainier]

Determined! I switched out my nesting material and put store bought eggs in the nests. They rolled the store eggs out and laid theirs in there. Having an intruder egg was not going to happen. Lol
I did the same thing! DH would leave and another coop would get built and more chickens would show up... I told him at least I don't have a drinking, drug or gambling problem... He said it's worse I have a chicken addiction!
I could never break the egg! I'd feel like that's a waste of food.

Never thought of trying store bought eggs. I'll give it a try.

I am really excited about the new ones. I just hope they are at least an ok quality and at least 2 pullets and 1 cockerel. They are only 12 weeks and my understanding is hard to sex because they are slow maturing. These birds are going to be my project birds. They only have four so I'm taking them all. DH really can't say anything .. I put up with the fish and hunting. Heck I even go along and take pictures for him!

The birds keep me sane, well as sane as I get

 

[Rainier]

When my pullets started laying in sneaky places, like under the deck, I just kept them grounded in the coop for a week. If they wanted to lay an egg, it had to be in the coop. After that week they always went back in the coop to lay. It seems like once they get used to a particular nesting place they always go back to it. I've also heard that if you find a nest in an "inappropriate" place to smash the eggs and the hen will realize it's not a safe place to lay, but I don't have the heart to smash perfectly good eggs and my hens will eat a broken egg in a heartbeat anyhow. They never purposely break an egg but if one cracks by accident or if I drop it, they are quick to eat it.

At first they did really well and only laid in the coop. When they first started to lay it was hit or miss if it was actually IN the nest. We left a couple of their eggs in there for a couple of days and they started to lay in the nesting boxes. We started collecting every day and I think that is when Lola starting laying in the shed and the other girls followed. I have no idea who is laying other than Lola and one of the mutt's (really need to name them!). Judging by the color of the eggs I'm guessing we have at least four laying. That leaves three more to start laying. When the Seabright starts to lay we will know because she is the only bantam hen.

None of mine are egg eaters, even if broken. The first three or so eggs we found were laying right under the roost, broken. Almost like they were roosting and an egg popped out. They never ate them, or at least I never saw any signs of them eating them. One egg was in the nest box broken but the shell was really thin. The girls didn't use that box again until I scrubbed out the boxes. I don't want to leave broken eggs in the nest box not only because of waste but I don't want to encourage egg eating or attract predators.

 

[Rainier]

I got an email asking me to come by this morning. I replied and said to let me know when and where.

so far no response! It's been forever .. like an hour.

Why wont this watch email boil already

 

[Ashley Stroud]

Well Hellooooo! You guys are all from Wa?! Me too! I'm a BYC newb and so excited to meet you all!

 

[Rainier]

Well Hellooooo! You guys are all from Wa?! Me too! I'm a BYC newb and so excited to meet you all!

 

[Ashley Stroud]

Thanks! Man, all this access to info and all the possibilities are overwhelming! This is gonna be fun!