Why Do Hens Use One Nest Box?

[MarcoPollo]

From reading comments on here I see that it is common for chickens to covet one nest box. Does anyone know why they do this?

 

[Mybabychicks]

Chickens feel safer in a nest used by another chicken because they know that chicken was safe. If you want to stop this move one egg into another nest box.

 

[Shellz]

I believe it's because when other hens see an egg in the nest, they think its a safe spot to lay. I 'cured' my girls of this habit, by placing one wooden egg in each nest box. Now they think all the nest boxes are safe.

 

[MarcoPollo]

Yep, the advice worked! I put golf balls in a few of the other nest boxes and sure enough we are finding eggs in different nest boxes.