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
Laura Roberts
R Half Pint Farm
From:
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2012 11:15 PM
To:
Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Re: How to manage free range egg laying in odd places?
Thanks, Diana.
This is my first chicken. I'm sorry I didn't get one ages ago. It's so nice to be out with her. She's really personable. My 3 year old is funny with her. He picks her up and carries her around and she's about as big as he is. She seems to like hanging about with us. But you are right, she loves to scratch up the yard. I hear it's good for the earth and plants, but really she covers so much territory.
I'm afraid I'll have to crawl under the porch. I've a feeling she's laying them there.
I hate cooping her up. Only at night. I haven't yet built a run so not so much choice unless I want to tie her to the tree swing again.
I was wondering if people build a temporary nesting site for free roaming chickens. I also wonder about the feed and water during the day. I don't think she goes back to the coop to eat although the door to food and water remains open when during the day. Is she getting enough nutrition from the yard? My yard is pretty much scrub with lots of pine tree droppings and some wild areas full of dense undergrowth.
Allen
--- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, institchesquilts@... wrote:
>
> Hi Allen,
>
> I have an EE that has a little spot at the edge of a woods in our back yard, in some brush, that she has been laying her eggs. 3 so far. This was because she couldn't get back into her coop. But I watched her a few days ago and once she came back to the group I went over to the area and found where she was dropping them. Unfortunately we have a number of hawks in our area that have our yard pegged so I can't have them out unless I am. They love the digging. Once it warms up in a couple of months I'll spend more time outside with them. Just watch where she goes, they like a dark small space to lay.
> Diana
>
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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