Where oh where are my eggs

[pikeechickee]

Ok, so being new at this egg/chicken thing I now have seven hens, some of them are laying. But because of circumstances I have not been able to make boxes in the barn where the hen roost at night. Now they are laying eggs all over the place. I am getting better at finding them, but is it possible to teach them to lay them in the barn?

 

[Alabama ee]

Can you keep them in a certain area that you want them to lay and not let them out for a while? If they develop a habit of laying in a certain area, they might continue. It worked with mine.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The only really effective way to train a chicken is in an enclosed space. There, build nesting boxes, of course. Now that they've matured in the freedom of laying all over the place, I'm afraid you'll have an easter egg hunt on your hands.

You could still restrain them to a small run or stall, place nesting boxes in there. Perhaps in a month, they'd have mastered the nesting box and might even be trustworthy to lay in them if allowed to roam about again. Anyhow, my $.02

 

[pikeechickee]

I will try to teach them, but I am getting better at finding them. I am not sure all the hens are laying yet but the Rhode Island Reds are, or a couple are. I am learning to watch their behavior to figure out where they are nesting. It is ok until they get in the neighbors yard in the woods. But, oh well, live and learn.

They seem to like the hay, so I put some hay in the stall with an egg, hoping one of them would take the hint, but they didn't. They are fun anyway. I'll eventually get the hang of it.