What can I do about chickens laying eggs other than in coop?

[Lesserevil]

I’m new to chickens. I have a tack room made into a large coop. My hens free range and I usually close the door to the coop once they’re out in the morning. They’re starting to lay eggs but most don’t lay in the morning so the coop is closed so no predators will enter it. The area they free roam in is fenced in. So they end up laying under trees etc. I can put a nesting box in the backyard but I doubt they’d use it? Any suggestions?

 

[aart]

Any suggestions?

Make the coop and nests available to them all day.
What predators are worried about entering the coop during the day?

 

[Lesserevil]

We have foxes that come out in the daytime sometimes and stray dogs. We have cattle fencing but they can scale these. There’s a huge stray dog problem near my farm

 

[PatriciafromCO]

You may need to fence the coop with an attached fence yard for your birds. Or invest in a enclosed chicken tractor that also has nesting boxes attached to it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Your chickens and eggs are vulnerable to predators if they can't get into the coop. I mean, they're somewhat vulnerable anyway if you don't have a predator-proof fence around their run area. But if you leave the coop and nests available to the chickens, at least you can train them to lay in the nests, and that's what you want, right? They certainly can't lay in the nests if they can't get to them.

 

[Lesserevil]

Your chickens and eggs are vulnerable to predators if they can't get into the coop. I mean, they're somewhat vulnerable anyway if you don't have a predator-proof fence around their run area. But if you leave the coop and nests available to the chickens, at least you can train them to lay in the nests, and that's what you want, right? They certainly can't lay in the nests if they can't get to them.

Our backyard is pretty predator proof but the acreage where their coop is isn’t. Their run is attached to their coop but they rather be free ranging in the protected area. Idk if it’s possible I put nesting boxes outside the coop if they would lay there under the trees? I have extra nesting boxes I just don’t know if they would utilize them outside the coop

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Our backyard is pretty predator proof but the acreage where their coop is isn’t. Their run is attached to their coop but they rather be free ranging in the protected area. Idk if it’s possible I put nesting boxes outside the coop if they would lay there under the trees? I have extra nesting boxes I just don’t know if they would utilize them outside the coop

Only one way to find out I guess.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I just wonder if they do, though ... would the eggs attract predators before you are able to gather them?

 

[ChicNmom]

They aren't going to want an open nest box.

Maybe take an old plastic storage bin and make an opening for the chicken and put some fake eggs in it to encourage them to use it? Maybe that will make them easier to find if you can get them to use it.

If you're going to put open nest boxes under the trees where they are currently laying you might as well be picking them up off the ground.

 

[Lesserevil]

I just wonder if they do, though ... would the eggs attract predators before you are able to gather them?

Aye that’s one of my big concerns