What's up with my hens'? 🤨

[2DogsFarm]

On my 4th set of hens in 10+yrs.
Currently 2 Easter Eggers, Barred Rock & Wyandotte + Barred Rock rooster.
I’ve had these girls 3yrs (BRs) & 2yrs (1EE) & 1yr+ (other 2).
At first - & historically - everyone used the nestboxes I put in the coop when I first set it up.
2 fruit crates, set on cinder blocks (because I read hens like them higher up) & located in the back of the coop for privacy. Nice bed of shavings in both. 2X4 ramp up to the boxes.

Recently the newer hens started laying in a space on the floor right next to the boxes. Making their own nest in the shavings.
Okay, weirdos

But in the last few weeks I’m finding the EEs are laying in the fenced yard, on bare ground & sometimes under the roosts.
Probably not from the roosts, as the eggs aren’t broken.
I know it’s these hens, because: blue eggs.

What got into their wee chicken brains?
All 4 hens seem to get along with just a normal amount of minor squabbles.
I.E. That treat is MINE!
Nobody has any battle wounds, aside from some ruffled feathers that rooster probably causes doing his thang

I’ve considered taking out the cinder blocks & putting the boxes on the ground.
But how do I discourage the Al Fresco layers?

[OzarksRider]

My chickens frequently lay in places other than their nest boxes. They all seem to have their favorite places where they insist on laying. And then after a while they’ll decide they need another place. I’ve found eggs in hay bins, wheelbarrows, flower beds, under cars, and even in their nest boxes. I have noticed, though, that my girls prefer hay beds to pine shavings. You might try putting hay or straw in their nest boxes to see if that will attract them.

[2DogsFarm]

Good idea
Hope the dirtlayers agree

[CrazyGuineaPigLady]

Definitely try new bedding that isn’t similar to whatever is on the floor. Also move, split up or add a nesting box in a different style if you can. A dominant hen could be running the others off so changing the set up might reset who “owns” the current boxes. If all else fails, keep them locked in the coop until after they lay for a couple days so they have fewer options.

[2DogsFarm]

Before the Odd Laying started I’d find everyone’s eggs in either one of both of the boxes.
Now all eggs are on the floor - at first all 3 or 4. Now it’s the brown egglayers on the floor, occasionally a blue egg in there too.
It’s the Outside Ground laying I want to stop.
I’ll be going away for 4 days in early October & farmsitter doesn’t let the hens into the fenced yard, so they’ll be cooped for that time. At my request - he doesn’t need to wrangle hens at whatever PM it is when he feeds horses.
Until then, I’ll just check the yard for stray eggs.
& try hay in the boxes.

[CrazyGuineaPigLady]

I would still try adding new type of nesting box now. A 5 gallon bucket laid on it’s side and filled with hay could be enough enticement to lay in a box again. Or add a cover and curtains to at least one they have now. If they don’t feel cozy enough in the cartons, they may just be laying wherever because it doesn’t matter.

[JB]

We’ve had a bunch of hens over 11 years. Every one of them has had stints of laying nicely in the coop, and laying in a dozen or more places around the farm - under bushes, on top of hay bales, in corners of stalls, behind wood piles, any place that’s quiet and cozy.

The only commonality is that none of the nice clean individual nest boxes I’ve tried, have been used. They have preferred to make a nest in the bedding (shavings, straw, hay, doesn’t matter) over any “box”.

[2DogsFarm]

I’ll def try hay in the boxes.
But they are pretty sheltered where they are now. Back corner of the coop, with the opened screened door leading to the yard forming a 4th “wall” - nice darkened place to raise their family
Maybe putting them on the ground will entice hens to use them again.
If not, I’ll invest in some buckets or other “roofed” substitute.

@JB Chickens!

[CrazyGuineaPigLady]

@JB

They have preferred to make a nest in the bedding (shavings, straw, hay, doesn’t matter) over any “box”.

Yes, I was also going to suggest a community laying area. Mine never laid in odd places but they had the choice of a large Rubbermaid tote or a trash can laid on it’s side. Eggs were always in one place but they went back and forth every couple months with the trash can getting most of the action.

[JB]

@2DogsFarm

Chickens!

Add to this, every few years, the flock has decided to roost outside the coop. Sometimes it’s in the tree next to it, sometimes it’s on top of the fence behind it. Currently, it’s the latter. I’m SO TIRED of having to retrieve them every night and put them in

[2DogsFarm]

I stopped freeranging when I lost 2 hens to a hawk in 1week
Bastid was sitting in my driveway chomping on a dead hen when I drove up
Hens & roo have to be content with a large - 25X25 - fenced yard.
Yard is roofed with a crisscross of baling twine, I read this appears solid to hawks. So far, so good.
There is a huge tree inside the fence that provides shade & beneath that is their favorite hangout.

This morning, after I did Chicken Chores, then fed horses, I went back to the coop & 1 of the EEs was in the floornest
Oh well, better than in the yard.

I have 2 old flatback buckets I’m going to setup as nestboxes & see if that’s The Answer.

[Mosey_2003]

Chickens are an exercise in frustration sometimes. I have a bunch of homebreds that refuse to roost. Just refuse. No good reason why. I also have some (same homebreds) that refuse to use a nestbox too. I often say I’m good at breeding chickens that fail-to-chicken I also have a commercial layer hybrid pullet that just came into lay a few weeks ago that has gone broody, which really really should not be happening. Because lucky me I guess

All you can do, short of locking them in, is make a few different styles of boxes and spread them around so they have options. Can also put fake eggs or golf balls in them. If you get the ceramic eggs make sure you draw a sharpie line all around the middle of it so you aren’t picking them up by accident.

[2DogsFarm]

@Mosey_2003

chickens that fail-to-chicken

Everything I read as a Newb said roosts need to be thick/wide enough to let them wrap their feet around.
So I put in two 3" diameter branches, stripped of bark, 1 angled so the then-babyish (5wk) hens could roost low or climb higher if they wanted.
1 branch straight across.
High point is around 2’ from the coop floor.

So where has Every.Single.Bird. in the past 12yrs - = 4 separate-ish flocks - chosen to roost?
On the 1/4" lath that frames the chickenwire sections that fence off the part of the coop floored in shavings from the pavers that make the aisleway.
The Prized section is maybe 3’ long & as many as 7 birds squeeze in there for nightnights

The only hen that’s ever gone broody on me was a Houdan.
Not a breed noted for this behavior.
She was a shrieking terror for almost 6wks.

Again: CHICKENS!

[Mosey_2003]

I don’t let em stay broody here, I break the suckers in a wire cage.

[GoodTimes]

I’m not sure if anyone mentioned it yet, but check that the nest boxes are free from mites, ants, spiders, etc. No one wants to sit in there with creepy crawlies!

[JB]

chickens would actually rather lay their feet flat, than have to wrap around, especially when it’s cold. Being able to settle their body over all of their feet keeps feet from getting frostbitten.

But if a “roost” is going to be round then yes it needs to be fatter rather than thinner

[2DogsFarm]

@Mosey_2003 Is this you?

Cool Hand Luke (1967) - Failure To Communicate Scene (7/8) | Movieclips

@GoodTimes If the nestboxes have creepies, then they’d also be in the Chosen Area & most likely, I’d have 'em too
Chickens show no sign of any infestation.

@JB somebody needs to tell my chickens (& all their predecessors) that curling their toes around that skinny piece of lath ain’t right
But at least their feet are covered when it’s cold

[Mosey_2003]

Turns out chickens are not the best choice for a person who likes to be very much in control of things

[CrazyGuineaPigLady]

That’s what makes them so interesting. I expect compliance out of most animals but others are just fun to watch doing whatever comes naturally to them.

FYI - I’ve always done the bare crate method (for several days) to stop broodiness but recently heard dipping their lower half in cool water puts an immediate end to that mess. It has something to do with dropping their body temperature and, I’d guess, the trauma of getting wet gives them something else to focus on. It’s a common practice to bathe Guinea Pigs together when they aren’t getting along so they will “bond” after a shared, miserable experience.

[Mosey_2003]

I’ve read that too about chilling them but many posted on BYC saying it didn’t work so I just chuck em in solitary lol.