How to raise Backyard Chickens: [CHICKENS-101] Re: How to manage free range egg laying in odd places?

Please let us/me know how the "outside" nest works for you.

Your place sounds wonderful.

Allen

--- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, "Laura A. Roberts" <laura0554@...> wrote:
>
> Allen,
>
> My husband and I were discussing this the other day. He is
> going to cut a big round hole in a five gallon buck-low enough for the
> chicken to be able to step into the bucket. We'll put the lid on it and
> some hay inside and sit a wooden egg in it to give them the idea that the
> place is safe for their eggs.
>
>
>
> We have lots of free ranging hens that don't feel like walking
> back to the coops to lay their eggs. Sometimes we'll find them in the
> middle of the barnyard, on the ground. Like "whoops, that slipped out on
> accident!'
>
>
>
> Our biggest problem is the renegades that decide to lay their
> eggs on the fourth and fifth level of stacked hay in the hay barn. Nothing
> like moving a bale of hay and having eggs roll down on your head!
>
>
>
> We also have renegade guineas that lay their eggs in the bushes.
> I found a nest with about 15 eggs in it last Fall. I told my dh and we
> went to check on them a day or so later and they were all gone, but no signs
> of shells or hatching. We had a fox hanging about and it might have found
> them OR my sneaky egg sucking dog, Lulu found them. My dh found her IN THE
> COOP last week, helping herself to eggs!
>
>
>
> Laura