We have a 1 of each group of 9 hens. We have four nesting boxes, only three of which are ever used. The hens all nest in an olive tree. Two of them, a Buff Orpington and an Australorp, have just started laying and we have been finding their eggs under the olive tree in the mornings, broken from the 4 - 5 ft. drop to the ground. All of the hens seem to want to roost as high off the ground as they can get. Is there any way to break these chickens from laying eggs on the roost and getting them to use the nesting boxes. I have been carrying them to the nesting boxes in the early AM before they fly down from the tree, but that does not seem to help.

TIA, Wes

-- Wesley C. Rolley (wrolley@refpub.com), October 01, 2001

Answers

The only way you are going to get them to change where they lay their eggs is to not allow them to go any where. If you confine them for a period of time, they will start to think of that as where they are supposed top sleep, and you will be able to control them better. Chickens that roost in trees are more susceptible to attacks from owl or opossum.

It is strange that your chicken lay in the wee hours, since most tend to lay mid day. Perhaps they lay later in the evening, and you are not seeing this? Either way, you can't stop them if you don't move them.

Good luck!!

Wendy

-- Wendy Antes (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), October 01, 2001.

Wesley, it might just be that they are brand new layers and don't actually know what eggs are for yet. They will probably figure out the idea of nest boxes soon and start using them on their own.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), October 01, 2001.

I'm with Jennifer. Pullets that have just started laying will drop an egg anywhere. I think maybe it surprises them. Mine have always settled down and sought out a nest box after a little while.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), October 01, 2001.

Wes, most will learn, but I still have one goofy two year old hen who gets up on the roost to lay her eggs, and I find them on the floor, sometimes whole, sometimes not. I guess some birds are just not too bright!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@aol.com), October 01, 2001.