The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: exmoorlady on August 19, 2009, 11:40:07 am

Title: Hens laying away
Post by: exmoorlady on August 19, 2009, 11:40:07 am
Can anyone help me. We have a dozen hens and are only getting 4 eggs a day. We have caught a couple hens laying in a hedge and in the stable and we now think others may be doing the same. They have a nice nest box in their house  full of shavings (which they keep turfing out) any suggestions welcome.  :chook:
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: jameslindsay on August 19, 2009, 11:44:18 am
We gave our chooks a new coop last week and even put it in a different place which confused them. The first night we had to help all 11 to bed but the next day a few of them knew where to lay their eggs. However, 3 of them are still laying in the Pygmy Goat shed each day but the others are going to the correct place. After 3 nights all took themselves off to bed which is good. I too don't know how to stop the 3 from laying on the shed, but at least I can find them safely there. Looking forward to the advice given.
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: doganjo on August 19, 2009, 11:54:54 am
Pen them in!
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: exmoorlady on August 19, 2009, 01:17:12 pm
When we had fox problems we penned them in and they all went on strike.NO EGGS. So I dont think that will work.
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: jules@bogside on August 27, 2009, 08:50:59 pm
I read about this being a problem with ex batts so in preparation I bought a few rubber eggs (on ebay or a poultry supplier) and stuck them in the nest box - the idea being that it shows the hens where to lay. It worked for me pretty well... although my toddlers found them and started chucking them about then thought that real eggs should bounce too..
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: Farmer on August 27, 2009, 09:09:22 pm
My chickens lay anywhere they damn well want to...no matter what I try...luckily we know most of the nest sites and simply go around collecting, but occassionally we find a hidden treasure trove...can't sell them so my wife uses them for baking (yummy)...not had a bad one yet, thank God!

We're moving to another farm in a few weeks, so I hope to contain them a little better and control where they lay, but the truth is I just love to see them wondering around the place so I put up with the daily 'egg hunt'...its like Easter every day!!!

Farmer  ;D
 :farmer:
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: Womble on August 27, 2009, 11:41:31 pm

Re rubber eggs, we took the tight-wad route, and blew a few to put in the nest boxes. I won't explain the method here, just in case my granny is reading ;).

However, the other day I had a hard-boiled egg sitting on my desk at work, waiting to be sliced into my lunchtime sandwich. A colleague started messing about with it whilst I was on the phone, then much to my surprise, bounced it on the desk!!  It turned out he had 'assumed' it was a rubber egg, and looked rather shocked when it smashed!

Honestly, some people!  :o
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: doganjo on August 28, 2009, 12:06:30 am
Well, this Grannie has never blown an egg in her life and was told it's difficult so haven't tried.  If someone tells me I won't be able to do something I give up before I've even tried.  Are hey not fragile once the inside is out though?  If a hen sat on them they'd break wouldn't they?
Title: Re: Hens laying away
Post by: CameronS on September 01, 2009, 09:22:04 pm
is it possible that there is not enough space (nesting boxes) for all the hens to get in, try making existing ones more private raise them off the floor more, mine like theres about 12 inches off the floor up, fill them with straw and such like, try to make the see the as an easy option instead of making their own,