Laying hen problems

[hoosier.hz]

So dad and I have several hens together that we sell eggs from. We have a small coop and two conjoined paddocks for them outside so that they can forage. However, as of recently they keep laying in the corners of the coop instead of the nest boxes, of which there are plenty. Does anyone know how to get them to stop laying on the ground and in the nest boxes?

 

[plattman]

Parents used to have ceramic fake eggs to put in nest boxes. Dont know if they worked

 

[old]

So dad and I have several hens together that we sell eggs from. We have a small coop and two conjoined paddocks for them outside so that they can forage. However, as of recently they keep laying in the corners of the coop instead of the nest boxes, of which there are plenty. Does anyone know how to get them to stop laying on the ground and in the nest boxes?

Fake eggs are the key to having them lay egg where you want them. Almost every nest box I have has a fake egg be it ceramic ir a plastic Easter egg. By the way I have found the ceramic eggs in the pet area of Walmart

 

[rustred]

So dad and I have several hens together that we sell eggs from. We have a small coop and two conjoined paddocks for them outside so that they can forage. However, as of recently they keep laying in the corners of the coop instead of the nest boxes, of which there are plenty. Does anyone know how to get them to stop laying on the ground and in the nest boxes?

fill the boxes with straw.

 

[DoubleO7]

Maybe the hens are eating too well.
And can't get to the boxes/

 

[hoosier.hz]

fill the boxes with straw.

There is plenty of bedding.

 

[rustred]

There is plenty of bedding.

Ya but is the bedding straw or shavings in the boxes. Unless they are too fat to fly .

 

[craigco]

Boxes should not be in direct light they like them sort of in a shadow. Also the chickens natural instinct is to lay eggs on the ground. They are laying eggs to make baby chick's not feed you. It's convenient for the boxes to be in a few feet up for humans to get eggs without bending over, but baby chick's can't navigate that large of a jump.

 

[Charlie M]

Some chickens are fussy about what is in the nest box for bedding. I've tried putting straw in mine and they just pick it out and sit in empty boxes. I don't have anything in mine but sometimes the eggs are soiled because of that.

 

[JerryCoolRep]

I remember when we had chickens at home we lighted our nest boxes first thing in the morning. The lights in the nest boxes are the first lights to come on. Maybe use led strip lights on a time and have lights in nests come on a like 4am.

 

[hoosier.hz]

Boxes should not be in direct light they like them sort of in a shadow. Also the chickens natural instinct is to lay eggs on the ground. They are laying eggs to make baby chick's not feed you. It's convenient for the boxes to be in a few feet up for humans to get eggs without bending over, but baby chick's can't navigate that large of a jump.

yeah they are about two feet above the coop floor and there really is not any light on them really ever

 

[Fixingfarmer]

We have found that straw works well but the other key is no other bedding so if there’s straw on the floor or anywhere else they will also use that area. We use shavings everywhere else very thin layer. Then the fake eggs but I only leave them in for about a week they will have it figured out. It does help to put a stamp on the ones that look lifelike one of the neighbor kids sold one in an eggcarton one time to my wife before we had chickens she went to crack the egg into the bowl and it went thump….the other option is of course a real egg hard boiled but what a waste

 

[hoosier.hz]

Ya but is the bedding straw or shavings in the boxes. Unless they are too fat to fly .

straw

 

[Scott Farm]

We have found that straw works well but the other key is no other bedding so if there’s straw on the floor or anywhere else they will also use that area. We use shavings everywhere else very thin layer. Then the fake eggs but I only leave them in for about a week they will have it figured out. It does help to put a stamp on the ones that look lifelike one of the neighbor kids sold one in an eggcarton one time to my wife before we had chickens she went to crack the egg into the bowl and it went thump….the other option is of course a real egg hard boiled but what a waste

I just put a couple of old golf balls in the nest boxes and that seems to work quite well. And easy to distinguish from eggs when gathering.