1 chicken out of 6 not laying in nesting box, how do I correct this!

[nrsejessica]

Hello,

My chickens have just started laying about a month ago. They all lay in the nesting boxes & seemed to have figured it out on their own & right away except for one! She always lays in the run in the absolute worst spot right next to their water! The other chickens are stepping all over the egg, not to mention that it ends up getting rolled in poop!
How do I correct this? I've placed a golf ball in the nesting boxes but feel as though it's pointless since every other chicken lays in the box so she has to see the other eggs in there! Any suggestions, I'm not sure how to correct this!

Thank you!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes a chicken gets an idea in its head and it's hard to change, I would start by blocking the spot she likes to lay in by putting something over it, a bucket, log, rock, whatever will cover it, she will hopefully start to look somewhere else, that's about all you can do I think.

 

[Spartan22]

She could be the one in the bottom of pecking order and get push around each time she is in the nest so she decided to just do it anywhere while she is standing.

 

[rides2far]

How do you block off a 5' long poop tray? I have 2 out of 14 not using the nest box, one uses the poop tray, the other uses the run like the OP, but just lays anywhere.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I sometimes get floor eggs when they are younger, I think they are too busy or wait too long and the egg get dropped anywhere, most will want the safety of nest boxes as they get older, make sure your nestboxes are appealing, dark and comfortable.

 

[aart]

Hello,

My chickens have just started laying about a month ago. They all lay in the nesting boxes & seemed to have figured it out on their own & right away except for one! She always lays in the run in the absolute worst spot right next to their water! The other chickens are stepping all over the egg, not to mention that it ends up getting rolled in poop!
How do I correct this? I've placed a golf ball in the nesting boxes but feel as though it's pointless since every other chicken lays in the box so she has to see the other eggs in there! Any suggestions, I'm not sure how to correct this!

Thank you!

How do you block off a 5' long poop tray? I have 2 out of 14 not using the nest box, one uses the poop tray, the other uses the run like the OP, but just lays anywhere.

I'll ask you both...
......how many chickens and how many nests do you have?
......are the nests easy to access both getting up and into them and getting out and back down form them?
Pics of your nests might help us spot a problem if there is one.

 

[nrsejessica]

I have 6 chickens & 3 nesting boxes. I bought a ready made coop that has the nesting boxes "upstairs" with a ramp that goes down from the nesting area to the run. It's very easily accessed so I'm thinking that either she's the bottom of the pecking order or she's still young & too busy or waits too long to use the nesting box as others have suggested. Hopefully she will stop on her own! They all go inside the nesting boxes from time to time & I've seen her in there so its I don't think it's a matter of the nesting area not being easy to get in/out of.

Thanks for the advice though

 

[nrsejessica]

Thanks for the tip! I'm hoping that its just because they are young. They are only a little over 5 months old & she's only laid about 3-4 times! Hopefully she will figure it out, guess I'll have to wait & see!!

 

[nrsejessica]

Thanks for the tip! I'm hoping that its just because they are young. They are only a little over 5 months old & she's only laid about 3-4 times! Hopefully she will figure it out, guess I'll have to wait & see!!

 

[aart]

I have 6 chickens & 3 nesting boxes. I bought a ready made coop that has the nesting boxes "upstairs" with a ramp that goes down from the nesting area to the run. It's very easily accessed so I'm thinking that either she's the bottom of the pecking order or she's still young & too busy or waits too long to use the nesting box as others have suggested. Hopefully she will stop on her own! They all go inside the nesting boxes from time to time & I've seen her in there so its I don't think it's a matter of the nesting area not being easy to get in/out of.

Thanks for the advice though

Hmmm ...what are the dimensions of the ready made coop?...many of them will not comfortably or healthily house as many chickens as they claim.