HELP!!!!!

[dewdropsinwv]

I went out to the coop to give the chickens their scratch this morning and seen my one layer in the nest boxes but only because I took away her favorite laying place..... the bag of bedding that was in the coop. Maybe if she lays her egg there, when the others start laying they will follow suit. I can only hope.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Dew, you seem to be around a lot so maybe this will work for you. I fixed a couple of nests so I can lock a chicken in there if I want to. A simple guillotine door.

When I find a hen laying on the coop floor in her normal nest, I catch her and lock her into a nest until she lays her egg. They are usually not hard to catch if they have settled onto a nest to lay. It normally takes them about a half hour to lay the egg, then I just let them out. One hen took 3 hours to lay her egg and I had to do her again the next day, but the others have gotten the message the first try.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Thanks ridge, I'll see if MontyJ can help me with that. I should have 3 more chickens laying soon. We had a few "oops eggs" over the weekend but nothing since.:/ I'm still waiting. I think they are getting sick of seeing me, I check on them every few hours to make sure there aren't any new eggs laying around.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

are you sure they aren't saying 'quick, here she comes! get into those boxes before she tosses you into one!' heh

 

[dewdropsinwv]

are you sure they aren't saying 'quick, here she comes! get into those boxes before she tosses you into one!' heh

ROFL chickies.... that's possible. I will catch one and toss her in there so they get the "idea" I put Nutmeg in there a few minutes ago and closed the burlap flap over it. Nutmeg is the only one laying right now. Like I said, one day I'll go out there and find 12 eggs. Considering I haven't gotten any since last Thursday....except nutmeg

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Dew, you seem to be around a lot




Yes I'm a pain..... not working right now.....so all I have is time right now.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Nutmeg laid her egg in the nest box now if the rest of the chickens will start laying I'll be in good shape.

 

[Smart Red]

Certainly, climbing a ladder to the nest can be too complicated for some of them. Steve

This is a bit off topic, but I think it is a good idea. I considered a ladder to help my dual-purpose chickens get to the higher roost, but didn't have room for one. Instead, I nailed 'steps' along the wall. The chickens jump from step to step to get up or down. (All but Pouchey. She waits for me to lift her down each morning) These steps seem to work just great, take little space, and are never in my way.

Congrats on the first egg laid properly! The books say chickens know what to do, but since they haven't read "the books", you are never quite sure what they will come up with.

This year's flock put themselves to bed about 7:00 each night. Last year's fowl had me chasing them around the coop well after 9:00 to get them all inside. I much prefer the earlier bedtime.

 

[dewdropsinwv]

THanks Smart Red!! MontyJ is supposed to see what kind of wood we ha laying around for a "perch" on the bottom of the nest boxes....to help them in and out. These chickens sure are taking their time reading "the book" :/

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

if you have an old step ladder that comes in handy as a roost. i kept forgetting my small one in my coop and kept coming in to grab it and find the steps covered in poop :/ i also have a couple plastic saw horses i used to make a shelf from a hollow core door for my poop board. some of the younger chickens have used that as a low roost. my frizzle hens and silkie roo use it too since they have a hard time getting high enough on the roost.