Laying off-piste

[MrsCordial]

One of our new hens - possibly two - is/are laying away from the next boxes. We found half a dozen eggs in an old tree stump a few days ago, then one in a flower bed yesterday, then two more in the same flower bed this afternoon. These hens lay at all times of day and seem to go in reverse order of seniority, with poor old Goldie at the foot of the pecking order going first and top dog Siouxsie (my ex-punk DH named her!) laying last.

What should we do about this rogue laying? I'm fairly sure both Calders laid in the flower bed today as unless my eyes were deceiving me there were two eggs there mid-afternoon that hadn't been there earlier in the day, and that brought today's total to six, which is spot on. The other four are laying in the next boxes, or the pile of shavings behind them, no problem. If they all laid fairly early I'd be tempted to delay letting them out for a couple of days to break the habit, but I don't want to leave them in most of the day. Our hens are locked into a big converted outhouse at night and given the run of the garden when they're let out in the morning.

Thanks.

[Scarlet]

Are the nest boxes in the dark? They like somewhere private to lay. If they're not, try making them a little darker, add strips of bin liner or similar, also check that their free of red mite and add some golf balls or china eggs to encourage them to lay there. Good luck!

[kathyd]

Hi MrsC, I have this problem too from time to time, annoying isn't it? I do a couple of things which sometimes work, but no guarantees!

Since my birds also sleep in an outhouse, I can use cardboard boxes to provide extra nest boxes - I add a new one occasionally, and sometimes the novelty works. Mine seem to like to have several boxes around to choose from, although only ever use certain ones at any given time so there are always a couple not in use. Then they'll do a swap at some point and start to lay in a previously rejected one. Even just moving the position of a box sometimes works. I fill with straw and cover half the front of the box with strips of black bin liner, leaving the other half open, then try to face it so it feels 'private'. I also shape 'nests' in the straw to give them the idea .

The other thing I've done is try to find out where I think they're laying in the garden, and then place a plastic box nearby as an alternative - under a bush or screened in some way. Again, fill with straw and cover the front to make it darker and more private. It sometimes lures them away from their site, and at least you know where to find the eggs each day, and it keeps them dry and clean so you can still collect and use them. Can get quite soggy when it rains hard though... this actually drove one bird back into the outhouse to lay because she didn't like soggy straw! Yay! Giving them a familiar 'format' with box and straw and bin liner seems to help encourage them back inside anyway. But as I say, nothing's fool proof.

Good luck with yours - let us know if you solve the problem, and if you think of any more sneaky strategies!

[Glutton4...]

My friend has the same problem with her Bantams. One likes to lay right under the middle of the shed - it is a very large shed, making egg retrieval almost impossible. Well, you can get them out with a rake, but not intact.

The only option, as I see it, is to keep them in until at least mid-morning, preferably lunch time, for a few weeks. Maybe even all day for a couple of days. They won't like it, so you'll have to put up with some bad language and squabbling for a while, but so long as they're allowed out in the afternoon, they're sure to forgive you.

Good luck!

[Scarlet]

I used to keep turkey's, they never laid anywhere sensible...one year it was in my courgette patch. Thankfully they don't lay that many per year!

[MrsCordial]

Thanks everyone. I found two in the regular flower bed spot this morning and four in the next boxes. I use the supermarket banana boxes which previous hens have always liked so will try moving them around. They're free and there's an endless supply so I can experiment with putting one in the foliage they're so mad about. It is annoying, but it's also rather sweet to see where they've made little nests for themselves. Bin liners also sound like a good, simple and cheap move. I like your sneaky pyschology kathyd!

I'll report back!

[MrsCordial]

We kept them in all day today - I'd intended to leave them in only til about 2pm, but our plans changed and it was 6pm before we were back. Lo and behold, six eggs, and six hens very happy to be released into the garden!

[MrsCordial]

We've sort of solved the problem, but by stealth rather than retraining. I let them out about 11am now, by which time the two Calders have certainly laid and maybe one hen is still left to lay. It's the Calders that lay wherever they feel like it. I don't like keeping them in so late in the morning but it's proved to be the only way to get full egg numbers every day. I let them out at 7am yesterday as an experiment but one of them buggered off to lay, so keeping them in it is.