Hens LAYING OUT

zetorman

Have 4 free range hens. Thought I had the perfect system. Hens came back into their shed to lay their 4 eggs and they came back into shed every eve and I locked them in for the night...... knew it could not last ???

During the last fine spell they suddenly stopped laying in their shed and I found some of their eggs under hedges etc. Worst of all any eggs I find in their nest box have been smashed.

How can I get them back on track ?

aonb

Ive had this problem. I once found about 20 eggs under a bush, with a lovely nest made up all cosy! :mad:

Its instinct for a hen to lay in a quiet secluded place.

Now that its warm, they are happier to find a nice hedge/bush to lay under.

The only way to get them to start laying again in the shed is to lock them in their run, and dont let them free range until they have laid.
Hopefully you have a run to keep them in!
Make sure to make the nest boxes attractive by lining with a bit of straw.

The other thing is to check that you dont have red mite in the shed, or other pests that would make the shed a place they dont want to go to lay. I fight an ongoing battle with the dreaded red mite. Rub a paper towel or rag around the nesting area in the shed, if you see any red streaks or spots on the wood or paper/rag, you need to act. Hens HATE being blood-sucked by the damned things

bertie1

Put a golf ball in he nest you want them to lay in