Chickens laying outside of nesting boxes!

[RuffIedFeathers]

I have a few chickens that are laying outside of their nesting boxes. I'm finding eggs just laying in the yard or on my patio, not even in a "nest". I have 6 nesting boxes and they only use the ones on the ends. I've tried putting all new nesting material in and adding the nesting herbs, but it didn't make a difference. I also tried the ceramic eggs and they didn't seem to help. I've attached a picture of the nesting boxes in the coop. Any suggestions? Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Hens are like humans in that if one does something, then another does it. Pretty soon all are doing it. Because, it must be awesome if everyone is doing it.

The ideal approach is to know what your hens are getting up to and nipping it in the bud with the first illicit egg by removing it and moving it to a nest box, the hen along with it, if you can catch her in the act.

Now that you have a revolution on your hands, the best way to deal with it to imprison, I mean, coop up all the hens for about four or five days to force a reset.

 

[NikkisChickees]

I have a few chickens that are laying outside of their nesting boxes. I'm finding eggs just laying in the yard or on my patio, not even in a "nest". I have 6 nesting boxes and they only use the ones on the ends. I've tried putting all new nesting material in and adding the nesting herbs, but it didn't make a difference. I also tried the ceramic eggs and they didn't seem to help. I've attached a picture of the nesting boxes in the coop. Any suggestions? Thank you!

sounds like you have some Easter eggers on your hands

I had a hen who would leave the paddock entirely to lay in the bushes on the other side of the lawn. And I had another hen who laid in the center of the acorn tree. This is where they laid their first eggs and continued for a while before they both ended up laying in the coop with everyone else.

I don’t have advice- because I didn’t do anything. But it did resolve itself on its own. Especially when it became cold and Ms. Betty didn’t want to make a trek across the lawn anymore.

There are lots of YouTube videos on correcting this behavior if you want to look there for some advice but it sounds like you’re doing all the right things

 

[Mrs. K]

How old are your hens?

It does generally clear up... and then later, they will create a hidden nest somewhere... they just like to drive you nuts!

 

[RuffIedFeathers]

How old are your hens?

It does generally clear up... and then later, they will create a hidden nest somewhere... they just like to drive you nuts!

They are all around 6 months and about half just recently started laying (barnevelders, Rhode island, buff Orpington, pita pinta, ameraucanas). They others haven't started yet (Sussex, cream ledger, bielefelder, isbar, marans). I have a very mixed flock. Maybe it takes them a while to figure things out?

 

[RuffIedFeathers]

Hens are like humans in that if one does something, then another does it. Pretty soon all are doing it. Because, it must be awesome if everyone is doing it.

The ideal approach is to know what your hens are getting up to and nipping it in the bud with the first illicit egg by removing it and moving it to a nest box, the hen along with it, if you can catch her in the act.

Now that you have a revolution on your hands, the best way to deal with it to imprison, I mean, coop up all the hens for about four or five days to force a reset.

Thanks! I can try keeping them in the coop for a week and see if they start using the nesting boxes.

 

[NikkisChickees]

They are all around 6 months and about half just recently started laying (barnevelders, Rhode island, buff Orpington, pita pinta, ameraucanas). They others haven't started yet (Sussex, cream ledger, bielefelder, isbar, marans). I have a very mixed flock. Maybe it takes them a while to figure things out?

oh so they’re new to this! Just give them some time

 

[FunClucks]

Another thing to think of - is there a reason they like the ones they lay in or don't like the ones they don't lay in? The ones in the middle look pretty open to me - I have a few hens that take anyone sitting in a nest box (in my case, a 5 gallon bucket on its side at the edge of my covered open air coop/run) as an invitation to run up and grab their comb or wattles, or peck them. I placed a plastic lawn chair laid over on its front so that it was resting on top of the nesting box, and the hens had to enter the nest box area from the side. That hid who was actually in the nest box, and made it harder for hens to just wander by and bully the laying hens. That protected nest box is now the favorite spot for my lower pecking order hens, cause it's kind of "hidden".

In your case, consider making the boxes larger, more enclosed, or maybe adding curtains, or laying over a piece of plywood or something to block line of sight to the rest of the coop. I.E. make them "hidden"

 

[Iluveggers]

My olive egger has decided that NONE of the nest boxes are good enough. She burrows herself in shavings on the coop floor against the far wall, and lays her egg on the floor there.

I keep telling myself, it could be worse. It’s not in the run, it’s not in the doorway where I’ll step on it.

 

[NikkisChickees]

My olive egger has decided that NONE of the nest boxes are good enough. She burrows herself in shavings on the coop floor against the far wall, and lays her egg on the floor there.

I keep telling myself, it could be worse. It’s not in the run, it’s not in the doorway where I’ll step on it.

My olive egger was my gripe layer too. She went 10 yards away from the paddock to lay in the weeds under the acorn trees. I think she was too hot to lay in the coop and just wanted to be alone to do her thing. She eventually got over it lol