Free-standing nesting boxes?

[EAkers]

We have 9 hens who are confined to a run bc the husband doesn’t love the mess of free-rangers. But we would like them to spend the day in our fenced garden (with their rooster guardian). We would provide shelter in the garden of course. My question is whether they would use nesting boxes set up in the garden that aren’t associated with their coop. I know these girls get mental if they can’t get back to their coop to lay because they don’t free range and have constant access to the coop. Has anyone successfully shepherded run chickens to a different location for the day and had them use nesting boxes apart from the coop? Thanks.

 

[sourland]

They might very well use nest boxes in the garden, but if accustomed to laying in the coop may be very upset and vocal. Any chance of connecting to the garden via a wire tunnel?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You have successfully trained them to lay in the nests in the coop. Some people will envy you. But now you want them to spend the day in your garden locked away from the coop. You said they would have shelter. Does that mean they will start sleeping in that shelter in the garden or will you move them every day?

If they cannot get back to the nests they are used to using they will lay somewhere. At first they will likely be upset and may hold that egg for a while before laying it. Don't be shocked if you get some body checked eggs or others with strange marks on the shells from that delay, but the eggs will be perfectly safe to eat.

Your question is where will they lay? You can provide nests (I'd suggest a fake egg in them to show them where to lay). They might use your nests or find their own. They are living animals, I don't know what any one individual will do.

If you physically move them every day you might wait until late morning after most of them have laid, but you can still have some lay later in the day.

@sourland mentioned one possibility, depending on proximity and the lay of the land. You might build a tunnel for them to go back and forth or build a passage out of permanent wire and posts or electric netting so they can go back and forth. I can't do that, my garden is too far away.

 

[EAkers]

I wish there were a way to do tunnels, but my husband won’t go for it. The chickens are his way of indulging me (though I think he’s appreciating them more during this egg madness!) but he doesn’t love things running all over the yard.

I don’t want to be mean to them, but I also want them to have a chance to scratch and find treasures somewhere other than their run. And leave treasures in my garden! The shelter would only be for the day. We would have them back in their coop at night. Our rooster is very aggressive in protecting the girls so I’m not worried about their safety during the day but I recognize the need for a place to hide.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I compost their poop and use that in the garden. I only clean the coop out in the fall, when I do I spread that on the garden so it can break down over winter. I understand the "leave treasures in the garden" part.

To me, the main thing about keeping them happy in the run is to have plenty of space. Do not squeeze them. You can help improve the quality of what room you do have by adding clutter. Clutter means things they can hide under, behind, or use to get over. I understand your desire to treat your pets special. If you want to work that hard you certainly can. The egg situation will work itself out.

As far as scratching and finding treasures, can you put the compost pile in the run? Any gardener should have a compost pile, even if they don't have chickens.