Porky Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I have just got my first three hybrids (last week) and they are just starting to lay. Fantastic! They are in an ark with a largish run. For most of the day they are free to roam around our back yard and scratch around in the gravel and woodpile. The trouble is that they seem to have no clue about what is happening when an egg comes and just lay wherever they happen to be. Not a problem until they lay on the concrete path and the egg breaks. They have nice comfy, private and secluded nest boxes in the coop. Any advice from the longer term keepers on how to encourage laying in the coop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Why not put a couple of ceramic eggs, or even golf balls in the nest box.....it might just give them the right idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandychick Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 You could try leaving them in the run until they have layed - they might figure out what the nest box is for and get into the habit of going there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 mine just started to lay, but she layig in the coop, but in a corner away from the nest boxes, is this a common one for warrens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share Posted August 16, 2008 Why not put a couple of ceramic eggs, or even golf balls in the nest box.....it might just give them the right idea. Thanks - I'm about to steal a couple of balls from my son's golf bag - I'll let you know how it goes..... Is this why golfers use bird talk .....birdies, eagles, albatross etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I put rubber eggs in my Cube nestbox to give my ex-batts a clue, as they'd never had a nestbox before (and they couldn't break them if they trampled on them!). They caught on very quickly and, apart from a couple laid in the run when the nestbox queue was too long, have always used the nestbox rather than just wherever. Worth a try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo&Fudge Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Hi The breeder we got our girls from told us to keep them in the eglu and run until they started to lay and they would definitely know where to lay their eggs. It has worked and we have a few funny moments when they have been out free ranging and one of them has done an olympic style sprint to the nest box to lay their egg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Mo, my cream legbar just lays wherever she fancies We've had them in the run, in the middle of the lawn, behind shrubs, next to the compost bin, on the coop floor and in the nestbox. It makes everyday an egg adventure - lol Oh, and quite often is she hasn't laid the egg in the nestbox she'll go and sit in the nestbox afterwards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
