We have really enjoyed our chickens and love getting eggs every single day. They aren’t just a source of eggs, but loved by everyone and the kids play with them all the time. I like to just watch them wandering around the yard – somehow they are relaxing to me. They have been more fun than I imagined they would be. But, we realized we have a problem the other day. I noticed that we only collected a few eggs and it is unusual that all the hens did not lay. Sometimes one or two won’t, but it was like 5 did not lay an egg. I let it go and then noticed the next day we only got three eggs. I knew something was going on. Piper then found an egg in the leaves next to the fence and it hit me that they were laying eggs in the yard.
I knew we could not search the yard daily for eggs so we tried keeping them in the run half of that day till they had laid in the nesting boxes. Finally, we let them out and three of them immediately went under the shed and laid eggs. Very frustrating. So, today we have kept them in the run and nesting box area most of the day. I looked up the problem and that was the suggestion. Since I know very little about hens I definitely have to read up on everything. I am hoping that keeping them in their house for awhile will help them get back in the habit of laying eggs in the nesting boxes again. I would not care except I don’t want to hunt all over the yard for eggs – plus we would never know how old an egg was. So, hoping that keeping them up a few days will help. This just started and we have no idea why. Hoping it is short lived.
We really do love having our chickens and the eggs are such a nice little bonus. Tess and Aria aren’t really happy with me for keeping them in the coop all day, but I told them it is just short termed and it has to be done – at least it is all I know to do. Hopefully, all will be back to normal in a few days.
The girls have really been a help during this time – cleaning the coops extra well, making the nesting beds super comfortable, blocking the openings going under the shed, and trying to close off any spaces that might be appealing to the hens. Hopefully, this will all pay off. It has even helped us get the area a little cleaned up and put unnecessary things away in the shed. That is a plus.
