how do I get my hens to lay eggs in the nesting boxes

[samuel]

im just wondering if theres a way to to get your hens to lay eggs in the nesting boxes because ive been hearing that peoples hens have not been laying eggs in the nesting boxes so i just wondering if there is a way to get your hens to lay eggs in the nesting boxes

 

[gracierooster]

Hens are really weird, they like to lay where others lay. If you buy wooden eggs and either keep them brown (the color of your eggs) or paint them white and put them in the nesting boxes, it gives them incentive to lay there.

 

[RedDrgn]

Hens are really weird, they like to lay where others lay. If you buy wooden eggs and either keep them brown (the color of your eggs) or paint them white and put them in the nesting boxes, it gives them incentive to lay there.

X2.

Ours have had wooden eggs in the nest boxes since a month prior to any of them starting to lay. I accidentally forgot to put the eggs back in the nest boxes after cleaning them out a few weeks ago and quickly learned that they lose their egg laying minds without those wooden eggs. That days, I found eggs all over the coop! I put the wooden eggs back in the boxes and they went right back to laying in the boxes.

 

[Illia]

Mine just instictually know where to go. Our nesting room is separate from the main coop, but I think after watching the older gals, the new pullets just know automatically where to go.


I do often get eggs below the perches or in other odd spaces but it doesn't take long for them to either adjust their cycle or learn better places. Often a trick is to move them once you find them laying in the odd space or when they are showing signs of needing to lay. If you can, try and disturb or destroy the odd place they lay their eggs.

Beyond that I haven't had a problem enough to think of other solutions.

 

[Den in Penn]

When I cleaned out the coop and nest boxes, I threw the golf balls in three of the boxes. Funny the next couple of days they used only the nests with the golf balls. I had to move the balls to get them to use the other nests.

 

[samuel]

Thanks everyone for helping

 

[mamas farm]

I picked up my hens eggs and put them in the nesting boxes .Then they started laying in the nesting boxes.I have eight boxes and for some reason they pick one box they fight over that box . I saw two hens in it yesterday. all the boxes are the same. I just did some research and it said nest boxes should be located 18 to 20 inches from the floor try to eliminate any dark corners they like to hide in dark corners. I think that is why mine fight over that one box because it is the darkest.

 

[samuel]

thank you

 

[bubblesgigi]

i was wondering if it makes a differance if i wait to put the nesting boxes in the coop till it gets closer to laying time so they dont get in the habit of sleeping in them. or is it ok to put them in now. oldest birds are about 8wks

 

[ll]

I have one hen that laid her 1st egg in the nesting box and has laid there every time since.
I have another hen that liked to lay her egg on the floor each day in the soft bedding....
tried to get her to lay in our nesting box but totally refused and she insisted on the floor area.
Then I bought a plastic bin type thing and put in on the floor. She didn't use it.
I then attached the plastic bin to the shelf next to the real nest box on the wall. Didn't use it.
I started picking her up and putting her in it whenever she was nesting on the floor ~ then one day there was an egg in it!
Yay, no more bending over to the floor to retrieve her eggs.

So at that point we had 2 nest boxes. This week she's trying to be broody so I took out the plastic box last night and this morning she is in our "real"
nest box that she's refused to go in for 6 months! Silly desperate bird ^^ but yay now she is sitting where she was supposed to be.

Persistence and luck - good luck to you and yours!