Where do your hens nest?

[lorieMN]

most of mine lay eggs on the floor and roost in the nestbox,,I gave up trying to change their ways and just let them do their thing..

 

[Boogity]

Chickens are funny animals. Most of our hens use the nesting boxes in the coop but one hen insists on laying her eggs under the bush in the front yard. She will wait a very long time in order to head out to the bush in the morning even when I'm late getting to the pop door. She is one of our friendliest hens but don't even THINK of trying to train her to use anything other than the bush. She gets very mad if you try to interfere with her laying habits.

 

[Wannabefree]

Mine have been laying in the corner of the goat shed. They have 6 perfectly good nestboxes in the coop but nooooo, they have changed spots. Silly girls!

 

[ORChick]

Good to know that works! I was wondering if the really bright colors would throw the chickens off or not. But come to think of it do chickens even see color?

I am using a green plastic egg, and an orange one at the moment. Doesn't seem to bother them. In fact, if I take one out it is invariably the nest with the plastic egg that gets the daily offerings from the girls. Of course, the newest girls haven't started yet. I may be singing a different song in August

 

[Dawn419]

My hens say, "Anywhere we want to!".

We have several piles of bagged leaves from a neighbor. There's something rattling around that sounds like either a small rock or piece of metal in our "new-used" chipper/shredder so we've not been able to shred for the past 2 weeks. Skip and I were discussing the best/easiest way to get into the area we need and notice a few Hamburg eggs laid around the bag piles. Happy Easter in June!

Since we've moved out here, I think I spend more time trying to figure out their next new favorite spot than actually collecting eggs from the nest boxes. I don't let them out to free range until after noon and it doesn't matter if I keep them cooped up until 4 p.m., they'll hold them and find the last place that they know I'll think to look! It's a chicken conspiracy...I'm sure of it!


Dawn

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I've gone on many egg hunts in my lifetime. I like my chickens to lay in the nesting boxes. I say,"Ditto" to the plastic eggs, but I use wooden eggs because of the weight and texture. Mine weren't bought @ a poultry supply house; they were obtained @ an online craft supply outlet...much cheaper. If they see eggs, they get the idea; at least in my experience. Also it sometimes seems to encourage broodiness....well, it seems to. I don't use the same nesting material as litter on the ground because it might confuse them, so leaves on the ground and shreaded paper in the boxes. I need to replace often because they eat it.
I sometimes find a nest in the roost, but once I wipe it out, it is no longer appealing for a few days and they use the nesting boxes.

 

[Dawn419]

Just came across the pix of my first major egg hunt after moving to our new place. In March of 2010 the girls were picking up production after their winter slow down. About the middle of the month I start seeing a major decrease and couldn't figure out why...that is until I heard cackling coming from our soft side storage shed. I unzip one of the end doors, walk in and plenty of noise but no hens in sight. I then realize it's coming from behind the dresser and cedar closet we have stored in the shed.

My a-ha moment:



Samll part of their stash, from outside of the shed:



Total find from my very first Arkansas Easter Egg Hunt:



We've gotten the soft shed so battened down to keep the chickens out of it that it takes a bit of time to get into it now. We just purchased a rent-to-own shed and will be retiring the soft side one very soon and I can't wait!!!


Dawn

 

[Marianne]

Agh. We moved things around in the coop, new roosting area (that they don't use, they still manage to fly up to the rafters) and new location for nesting boxes. The two that were laying are on strike, no eggs in there. New girls should start laying any day now. I saw one of them checking out the nesting boxes, so there's hope yet. I have a golf ball in them. The nests, I mean.

I have such a small coop, 8 x 12. They use every bit of it for a landing pad when they're flying down from the rafters. I worry about leg trauma. The new roosting area is still high, but at least there are two lower boards to help them get up (and maybe down????) We're going to pick up a roll of chicken wire to cover up the rafters so they have no place to go other than the roost. Oh ya, the roosting rafters of choice? Right above the door, so there's fresh poo there every morning. Yay....:/

And to cork it, one of the new hens crowed the other morning. Nice. And I have a hunch that both my RIR are roo's. Two out of 8 chicks that were 'supposed' to be girls. A friend bought 15 at the same time, three of her's are roo's. Not happy. Mine are going to her place next weekend and they'll be a frying pan special at her house. We got them at Orchelins.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I recently played musical chickens so they are all confused. Still, I have the regular nesting boxes (read: little cat carriers/crates) that I've been using since the beginning, all with one or two plastic easter egg in them (all colors, btw). But suddenly, in one pen, the 2 adults and 1 new pullet are laying the eggs on the floor behind the shelves where I have to dismantle everything to get to them.

Frustrating.

Looking for someone nearby to help me build something better. HINT HINT HINT!

 

[Cindlady2]

I built a nice 10 slot nest box which they used for a few months, the last 3 months or so they have been laying in the milk crates holding it up. Sometimes they will slip into other parts of the shed/coop (if a door is left open) and find some weird spot. One time I was down to only 3 or 4 eggs a day, found over 2 dozen in a large flower pot under a bench! The weirdest part is there was only about 3" from the top of the pot to the bench for them to squeeze into!