HELP chicken won't lay in nesting box.

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crumpton28

crumpton28

Hatching
May 20, 2016
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So we are new to the homesteading life and got 15 chickens all vary in breed and age. I have 1 Rhode Island that has been laying since we got her in the nesting boxes or behind the tin in coop. But recently one of my easter Eggers not sure who has laid 2 eggs, one was on the floor the other was on the floor against the wall under the roost. Could I have a hen that doesn't know she is laying eggs which is why they r not in a nesting box or safe place? Who do I find out who is laying these eggs and get them in a safe place?
 
Hello and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


It can take new chickens and young layers a while to figure out the nest box thing. Some of them will lay their eggs in all kinds of crazy places and some just let them fall out where ever they may be standing at the time!

The best thing you can do is keep your nest boxes extremely clean, chickens will not use a dirty nest box. Keep a fake egg in every box, a hen is comfortable laying her egg where another has laid theirs. Put curtains over the front of the boxes, leaving a small slit in the middle so she can enter....hens LOVE dark private places to lay their eggs. And last, collect eggs often. Broken eggs attract predators and chickens eat them.

Also, if you can spot a hen in the act of laying or looking for a place to lay, pick her up and put her in the nest box. It's like training a puppy to do his business outside.

Eventually, if you do these things, they will get the hang of it.

Enjoy BYC and welcome to our flock!
 
Hi :welcome

Glad you could join us here! TwoCrows has left you some great advice on getting them to lay in boxes. I found fake eggs and leaving an egg in there really did help. Wishing you the very best of luck with your birds in the future.

Enjoy BYC and all the chicken chat :frow
 
Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT
 
Thank you for the advice. I am still trying to figure out who is laying the eggs but today the egg was actually in the nesting box. :) I didn't realize that they will just let them fall out. I am glad I joined the page I have gotten so much information from this page. Chickens are new to me but I love going to the coop just to watch and hold them. Everyone keeps telling me that chickens are not suppose to perch on us and want to be held. My 2 daughters love holding them and enjoy just sitting with the girls.

But I do have another question. What do I do to help my pullet that has pasty butt? I give her bath to wash it off but she still is getting it on her feathers. Will this stop?
 
I just got 3, 2 Longhorns and 1 Barred Rock. They were laying in the nesting boxes from the start (I got them as Pullets I believe)...then we built them a new bigger coop and they aren't having it! Not to mention the Barred Rock decided she was going to stop laying for some reason, it's been like 5 days since her last.
 
My australorp won't lay her eggs in the nesting box in stead she just paces and clucks really loud until we let her out to her nest in the woods. When we stopped letting her out she found a way out and got to her nest. She does it everyday and we don't know where she keeps getting out fr:barnieom
 
motherhen31 said:
My australorp won't lay her eggs in the nesting box in stead she just paces and clucks really loud until we let her out to her nest in the woods. When we stopped letting her out she found a way out and got to her nest. She does it everyday and we don't know where she keeps getting out fr:barnieom
Click to expand...

A determined hen is a force to be reckoned with. The only fix here is going to be to identify her escape route(s) and address them so that you can then enforce the nest training to "home" her to laying where you want her to.....or go on daily egg hunts to her nest of choice.
The fact that she can get out is a concern in that it means that other things can get IN - ie predators.....another good reason to reassess the security of your enclosure. If you post some photos we can likely help you identify potential points of entry/escape and suggest some quick/easy fixes.
 

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