How To Get Hens To Lay Eggs in Nesting Boxes

Thank you! Let me know if it works! I don't see any eggs so if the golf balls don't work I am going to contain them too and see. I will keep you posted

First egg! Yesterday, one of my 3 Isa-Browns (Miss Helen) laid her first egg in the middle of the coop after acting odd all morning. She would not follow the others around the yard to scavenge and instead, sat on the roost wailing. Her sister (Hennifer Lawrence) has been squatting all week and I had no idea what it meant until now. We thought she was pretending to be a falcon. I supposed every chicken, like every person, has their own way of doing things. I am eager to put the golfballs in the boxes and see what happens next. Is there any other behavior to look for?

I use river sand in the nesting box. It makes it easy to clean and cushions the egg well. I also put golf balls in the nesting boxes to get them to start laying in them and not just on the floor. it seemed to work because now everyday they lay in the boxes.

OMG I think you are a doll!!! So awesome you kept her and saved her life, who knows what someone else would have done with her. I loved reading your story. And your hen sounds just like her name, a real sweety pie!!! I just purchased my coop about a week ago and today we are bringing home Ms. Gerty (named after my grandmother Gertrude who always had orange/red hair) She is a golden buff and beautiful. She was shunned by her flock, her previous owner only sells them doesn't keep them forever said she is a pushover. I beg to differ. I had to save her. She is a survivor and Im hoping she bonds with me quickly , her previous owner said she is a sweetheart and lays really well. He said the same thing to use golfballs to get her adjusted and to lay in her new coop. I am so looking forward to spending the day bonding with our new feathered baby. Yes she will be my baby. We plan on getting other hens but they have to mesh well with Gerty because at our house, she will be the queen or they can't stay. Im looking for a gentle hen for her to become best friends with, this is the only way it will work.

Should I put more than one golf ball in the box? One of my white Leghorn's has been laying for four days. Nothing from the others. How long will it take them to learn to use the box? I am very new to this!