Where do free range chickens lay eggs?

[RedfogsFlock]

Mine go to there nest boxes, and believe me if that door to the boxes is closed they will absolutely have a flappin fit!

 

[lindabean]

I kept my hens in their pen for several weeks till they started laying in the nest boxes regularly. I have on only 2 or 3 occasions, found eggs in the middle of the pen. After molt, when they all quit laying, I found 3 eggs in a nest in the driveway garden, and then another time in the leaves under the bumper of the truck. After both those discoveries, I kept them penned for about a week, and then they all started laying in the nest boxes again. I do look around where I see them scratching, especially when egg production has dropped. Those "hunts" have been unproductive. I got 5 new layers about a month ago, and kept them in the usual week. I found a few eggs around the area where the pen is, but since I've started feeding them Cayanne pepper, they have all been laying in the nest boxes. I'm told it's an old wife's tale, but with the increase in eggs I've seen this week, I'm a believer!

 

[CherokeeCowgirl]

Some of my hens go back in the coop to lay and some make nests in the yard.

 

[cybercat]

I free range my chickens. That is all I have done with them from day 1 that they have been in coop. There is no pen/run on the coop at all. Pics of them are in my blog in my sig. Yes, you have to train chickens to lay in nest boxes. Using a fake egg will help alot but still if they start laying outside anywhere you will need to lock them up for a full day or two. Thats so they will use the nest box. I use cover large cat litter boxes. My girls now line up waiting on them but most girls do not lay at same time. I will get eggs from morning till evening. I pick up eggs at 3pm and 7pm when I lock up at night here.

If they have been using the nest box before you let them out to free range. You will not have many problems on them using them after they are free ranging. They always run back to lay eggs in coop if they can make it that far. i have had a few lay on the way to the coop. I always laugh when I find those eggs. I cna just see the chicken saying" Oh NO I got to Go NOW bock bock bock"

 

[SJensen]

I had the same worries about whether my free-range pullets would actually return to their coop and walk up a ramp to lay eggs in the nest boxes. On advice from this forum, I put a couple of golf balls in the nests. How amazing it was to see that first egg right there next to the golf ball! They've been laying for 2 months (free range from dawn til dusk) and always go to their nest boxes. Hopefully yours will do the same!

 

[CarolynPerth]

ahh those cheeky little chookies. some will some won't and just when you think it was safe to let them out they go and start getting all secretive again. Well at least that is how mine are. If I think production is down I wait til I hear the egg song then go see where the bird is and usually find a clutch not far away. One thing I am noticing is that they don't have very long memories so probably keeping them penned up does change their habits. Then they go forgetting again after I free range them

 

[DillardHome]

When I first started letting mine out to free range they where such good girls by going back to the coop to lay and then they would go back out when they were done. Once when it was pouring rain they were all taking cover under the shed and I saw one of the hens make a run to the coop just to lay, what a good girl!

But then a few days later there where no eggs in the nest box I started finding eggs in the horses' hay, under the shed and even in my son's toy jeep in the garage. So I put them all in lockdown (in the coop) for a few days hoping they would get the point that this is where they lay.

After a few days I let them out again in the early evening when I knew they probably were done laying for the day, and they got to be free for about an hour before it got dark and they would go back in the coop. I would let them out a little longer each following day and they would go back to laying in the coop like before. So there may be times you have to get them back on track if they start laying elsewhere, or they may not. It just depends on the hen. You may have no choice but to keep them in their run (or build one if you don't have one). Good Luck!

 

[franklinchickens]

So one of my EE girls "wasn't laying" so much and was acting a bit off. I was getting worried about her, and then this morning, my daughter came in crying that she couldn't find Violet. So I hiked up to the tree line at the back of the yard, and sure enough, there she was in a little nest she'd made in the crook of a tree (on the ground) sitting on 4 eggs! Since we don't have a rooster, I'm not sure what she was thinking but I gathered them all up and shooed her out. So now I know where to look for her at least.
I sure hope this changes. She has laid in the nesting boxes in the past (I've seen her) so I'm not sure what changed. Who knows!

 

[flowerfaerie1]

My hens hate me right now. Our "leader of the pack" started hiding her eggs and the other girls started following suit. To break the habit I kept them on lock down all day yesterday and by 6pm still only had 3 out of 5 eggs. This morning I made them stay in the run again and all I hear is disgruntled clucking. At one point I heard an egg song and saw that Cosette had laid her egg and so I let her out. Like the other girls are going to get the idea that if they lay they get to free range too.

But that's how it's going work, lay me an egg or stay locked up! LOL

 

[woodmort]

What is amounts to is "Anyplace they want to."