What can I do to motivate my hens to lay?
New to the game, got two hens (breed is said to be red sexlinks) from a farmer's livestock market at the beginning of May (this year), was told they would be ready to lay in 4-ish weeks.
They have an insulated coop with food and water as well as a perch for them to snooze on at night. The coop itself is in my unused garage (which fits a riding lawnmower and my SUV, so it's not small by any means) and they've been hanging out in there while I make them a chicken tractor to go roam outside but protected from predators. They have a dust bath in there that was a kiddie sandbox until I repurposed it.
My plans are to get them outside for the sun, switch them to a mix of grower and layer feed, and that's about it. I have nesting boxes set up as well inside said garage, lower to the ground than the perch.
Any other tips would be great! TIA.
Posted Jun 15, 2026, 12:57 PM UTC