Tips for containing eggs to inside the coop only? Girls will be laying soon!

[henshomestead]

Hi all! My girls are about to start laying and I have some concerns. They are free-rangers who mostly stick to our open field and I have my eye on them pretty much all day. However, their coop is relatively close to a bit of woodland and a creek, as well as tall grass which they like to explore. We accidentally got one rooster when we ordered (not sure how that happened but he's def a rooster-- big comb and wattles, huge body and legs, says "cockadoodle doo," has begun stepping on hens which they do not reciprocate yet haha!) Anyway, we are pretty concerned about hens laying a fertile egg somewhere we won't find it. To put a long question short, any tips for making sure they lay inside their coop/nesting boxes only? My dad says he heard you can keep them in until late morning when they're done laying for the first few days and they'll learn to only lay in the boxes by choice. Thoughts?

 

[aart]

My dad says he heard you can keep them in until late morning when they're done laying for the first few days and they'll learn to only lay in the boxes by choice.

Your Dad's correct, tho it might take longer than that as pullets may lay anytime during the day.
Do you have a run at all?

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[henshomestead]

Your Dad's correct, tho it might take longer than that as pullets may lay anytime during the day.
Do you have a run at all?

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop/run for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

Thank you! We don't have a run so I think golf balls and leaving them in late is our best bet, thanks!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

My flock free ranges next to River and Nat'l forest, sounds similar... I let them out around 1. They always go back to the Coop to lay eggs and often I keep them in the run/coop for a full day. If you think like a chicken you want the nest boxes to seem like the safest place to "hide," eggs. Keep boxes clean, darkish, private... I did have one Olive Egger that I noticed was not laying. I watched her closely and she was pacing around the gate alot. I investigated the part of woods she seemed to always go too. Sure enough I found about 20 beautiful green eggs under a fern. I couldn't believe I found them, they were well hidden and green!! SO it will take a bit of monitoring who is laying and looking for suspicious behavior, etc.

 

[henshomestead]

My flock free ranges next to River and Nat'l forest, sounds similar... I let them out around 1. They always go back to the Coop to lay eggs and often I keep them in the run/coop for a full day. If you think like a chicken you want the nest boxes to seem like the safest place to "hide," eggs. Keep boxes clean, darkish, private... I did have one Olive Egger that I noticed was not laying. I watched her closely and she was pacing around the gate alot. I investigated the part of woods she seemed to always go too. Sure enough I found about 20 beautiful green eggs under a fern. I couldn't believe I found them, they were well hidden and green!! SO it will take a bit of monitoring who is laying and looking for suspicious behavior, etc.

That's a crazy story about her eggs, I'm glad you found them!! I appreciate the advice and will keep an eye on them. It's great for chickens to have a nice diverse environment to explore but this is def one of the drawbacks, or at least things to keep in mind haha!