Stubborn Hen Wont Lay in the Coop, Whats Going On?
-
ChickWrangler - Hatchling
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2025 7:29 pm
- Location: Koror, Palau
Re: Stubborn Hen Wont Lay in the Coop, Whats Going On?
This is totally normal! Some hens fixate on a certain spot and won't lay anywhere else. You might have to work with her preferences rather than against them.
-
PasturedPeep - Eggling
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2025 7:31 pm
Re: Stubborn Hen Wont Lay in the Coop, Whats Going On?
CrowingMystic wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2025 2:53 am Yesterday was an exciting daymy Australorp laid her very first egg! I found her inside an old, large pot, looking a bit awkward. Thinking she was stuck, I gently lifted her out, and to my surprise, she laid the egg right there on the ground before wandering off like nothing happened.
This morning, the moment I let her out, she frantically started searching for that same pot. The problem? I had cleaned and moved it, placing it nearby in what I thought was a better positionflat on the ground, easy to access. But she wanted nothing to do with it. I even set up a different pot with fresh straw and a ceramic egg to encourage her, but she ignored that too.
After watching her pace and search, I finally put her original pot back exactly where it was. Sure enough, she hopped right in and settled down to lay.
So now Im wonderingdid I mess up by moving it? Why is she so determined to lay in that exact spot instead of using the nesting boxes in the coop? Do chickens get attached to a particular place, and should I just let her keep using the pot? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Have you checked your coop's nesting boxes? Sometimes hens avoid them if they don't feel safe or comfortable,maybe adding curtains or fresh straw will help.
