Weird laying spots

[Merrilie]

My girls always laid in the same spot, the nesting box until yesterday. Now I am finding eggs in odd spots. Is there any way to retrain them to lay in one place? There is plenty of room for them. And I just put the 2 ceramic eggs back in their boxes thinking this would entice them to
lay there. Comment?

 

[Chicken Heel]

My girls always laid in the same spot, the nesting box until yesterday. Now I am finding eggs in odd spots. Is there any way to retrain them to lay in one place? There is plenty of room for them. And I just put the 2 ceramic eggs back in their boxes thinking this would entice them to
lay there. Comment?

In my experiences, when hens begin laying in odd areas there usually is a snake hanging around their usual one.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

I think you’re doing the right thing.
Are they just randomly dropping eggs on the ground or have they found other nests ?
Ceramic eggs in the nest box should help encourage them to lay there again.

 

[aart]

My girls always laid in the same spot, the nesting box until yesterday. Now I am finding eggs in odd spots. Is there any way to retrain them to lay in one place? There is plenty of room for them. And I just put the 2 ceramic eggs back in their boxes thinking this would entice them to
lay there. Comment?

Check nest for pests and/or predators.
Then put fake eggs back in and confine them to coop and run.

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 a week or so 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 and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, 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.

 

[Merrilie]

I think you’re doing the right thing.
Are they just randomly dropping eggs on the ground or have they found other nests ?
Ceramic eggs in the nest box should help encourage them to lay there again.

She is laying on the side of the coop that they use for sleeping. The nesting boxes are on the other side of the coop, and as a rule, they do not sleep in that side. (Except for Miss broody b;!(!ch- affectionately named by my grandson). Miss BB is not laying at all- she’s molting. It’s my bantee who did not lay all winter until 4 days ago. She laid 2 in the right spot, and has now taken to laying in their bedroom.

 

[Merrilie]

Check nest for pests and/or predators.
Then put fake eggs back in and confine them to coop and run.

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 a week or so 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 and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, 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.

Thank you for this. So far I have not had a predator or pest issue and I did put the ceramic eggs back into the boxes. They are not lacking for space.....

 

[starri33]

My girls have gone through that, I find where they are laying, collect the eggs and block off that spot, they move on to find another..lol, I'm wondering if it might have something to do with someone getting broody. Once one girl lays there, the others follow suit. I have 10 nest boxes among 30+ girls, plenty of space for them to lay, they will stuff themselves 2 to 3 to the box leaving 3 or 4 open, they've decided that beside my work table looked good, I collected the eggs and blocked that off, then they managed to push out my barricade and laid up on the shelve under the work table, When my egg count goes down, I've started searching the run.. I've got a NN that lays a blue egg, I haven't seen the egg in a couple of days, so I've got to figure out where she's laying, I had been able to track her, ie: lay on Monday, on Weds I'd have another.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Thank you for this. So far I have not had a predator or pest issue and I did put the ceramic eggs back into the boxes. They are not lacking for space.....

I leave wooden eggs in a few of the nesting boxes at all times. The newbies (juveniles allowed to join free ranging adults) are cooped up for 3-5 days upon introduction to the coop. When the youngsters start laying, that 1st wk i find eggs everywhere and anywhere. They catch on quick a figure it out especially with older birds as roll models.
My older birds change preferred boxes seemingly with the seasons from one side to the other (7 nesting boxes on each side of my coop). I keep track of all locations and its pretty interesting to try and figure out the cause for the changes. For me, it seems as if temperature plays a roll as in winter they prefer a southwest corner receiving the longest sun exposure and in spring and summer they switch sides to a cooler more shaded side of the coop.

 

[Merrilie]

I leave wooden eggs in a few of the nesting boxes at all times. The newbies (juveniles allowed to join free ranging adults) are cooped up for 3-5 days upon introduction to the coop. When the youngsters start laying, that 1st wk i find eggs everywhere and anywhere. They catch on quick a figure it out especially with older birds as roll models.
My older birds change preferred boxes seemingly with the seasons from one side to the other (7 nesting boxes on each side of my coop). I keep track of all locations and its pretty interesting to try and figure out the cause for the changes. For me, it seems as if temperature plays a roll as in winter they prefer a southwest corner receiving the longest sun exposure and in spring and summer they switch sides to a cooler more shaded side of the coop.

I hadn’t thought about the temp change. Because it is now above freezing during the day and sunny (thank God!) I have 2 ceramic eggs and periodically find they have been moved from box to box. I have 5 hens and 3 boxes on each side. Since I am in city limits, I can’t have more than 6 chickens and no roos. Which keeps me out of TS a bit cause I want them all and moving out of the city is not an option