Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Clur]

Our girls prefer to lay their eggs in the most inaccessible area of the garden, and it's a pain in the backside to retrieve them. How can I get them laying in the nest box again? There's no nasties like mites in the eglu, they are cleaned out regularly, and I have had two pot eggs in there for the past week.

[Chucky Mama]

Could you maybe keep them shut in until they have produced for a few days

[Clur]

I hadn't thought of that! Our girls are very noisy if we don't let them out of the run first thing. I should be working from home tomorrow/Weds so will give that a go

[surfer_chicken]

Ours used to do this too, awkward places such as underneath the trampoline, right in the centre so you had to crawl on your knees to get them out

And if there was a queue for the nest they would lay them right outside the door of the eglu so we'd have to dissemble the run to reach them, or alternatively attempt to sit on top of the hen already on the nest

 

I'd suggest locking them in as well. Are your hens morning layers? Ours are normal done by 11am, so maybe you could let them out at midday instead of shutting them in all day?

[Clur]

Yes, that's a good idea. We both work, so if I'm in the office I leave the house just before 9am, so on those days it won't work unless hubby can pop home lunchtime. Once I'm back from my work travels I am trying to work from home 3 or 4 days a week so I may start training them then.

 

Thank you

[Kylie1007]

My buff orpington decided that she was going to start laying at the base of the palm tree and then I thought she had signs of going broody which I didn't fancy if she was going to sit outside all night under the palm tree. I put a flower pot in the place where she laid and she was pretty upset at not being able to get into her usual spot but she then started laying in the nest box like a good girl!