Hens laying outside?

[Ole rooster]

Bet on it. They're laying, you just gotta find where. It's a easter egg hunt for them everyday.

 

[peepmommy]

It's funny, I kept them in until 11 today and I got 2 eggs in the morning, but 3 more in the afternoon. If they do have nests outside, it would be impossible to find over 19 acres!

 

[Boneheadeb]

I'm trying to search through some threads on this issue myself - and many of them get WAY too long for me to prowl through. I have 10 pullets and 1 rooster, all 5 months old, mixed flock. The pullets have started laying and I am slowly increasing my daily egg yield. One of the pullets went broody on me and apparently some of the others have now established an alternate nest out in the chicken yard. I happened onto it yesterday and gathered 12 eggs that I plan to feed to my dog (no idea how long they've been baking in the sun). I'm guessing Ms. Broody may be discouraging nest-sharing. I have one oversized nest box that comfortably seats two. I'm working on breaking the broody, and hope once that occurs, the rest will resume laying in the box. Meanwhile I'll just gather from the yard nest. I also have one fatty who somehow fly/flops herself out of the fenced yard and has established her own personal nest in my flower bed. After she lays her egg, she gets herself back into the chicken yard. If I catch her wandering outside the yard, she goes right in when I open the gate. Open for comments or suggestions.

 

[Boneheadeb]

Also found another outside-the-yard nest, at the foot of a hemlock tree, with 14 eggs in it. That is my Polish Crested who is so light she has no problem flying to the top of the fence. She gets herself in and out on her own and now that I know where she is laying, I can nab her eggs. The fatties are Wyandotte and both that I have getting out daily. They also get in and out on their own, although if I catch them roaming around, they are happy to go back in via the gate. My rooster (welsummer) is now strutting on the top board of the fence but so far stays with the ladies. I clipped their wings at about 2 months and assume it is time to give them all another snip. Our chicken yard is a repurposed corral surrounded by a 4-board fence with wire running from below ground to the 3rd board. No problems so far with predators, although the neighbor below us shot a bobcat last week with one of his chickens in its mouth.

 

[redfancy78]

Similar issue, any advice would be most appreciated. We had 4 hens, all laying inside, then started to free range with the rooster (who also lived in the coop) but he ended up being mean and so he was rehomed. Introduced 4 new pullets to the coop and they seem to get along fine. Got a new rooster, sweet as can be and keeps the peace between the hens if needed. Kept everyone inside for a few days then started free ranging again eggs are being broken if laid in the coop at all...have no idea what to do!!