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

 

[MLWoods]

I got mine at michaels. I have only one chicken laying, and she won't use the boxes. I have 4 boxes, and one I loaded down with wooden eggs (4) since thanksgiving. Our hen won't lay in there, she uses the roof of the coop, and if I move her to the boxes, she goes back up to the roof! If I keep he in the coop, she lays under the roost. I want to get this figured out soon, when the other five start to lay I don't want to be finding them on the roof too! I have pine shavings in the nesting boxes, so I am going to try some straw..

 

[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