Add more nest boxes or let them figure it out?

[Dawn419]

I "had" 3 nest boxes set up in our main coop for 10 layers (4 hens, 6 POL pullets). They all had to use just 1 box. Pulled box #3 and now they are laying in the 2 boxes.

Chickens....go figure!

Dawn

 

[cmom]

I have 16 layers and I have 6 nest boxes and most use 2 of them. Once in awhile I'll find some eggs in the other nest boxes. Also I'll find 2 or 3 birds crammed in one of the favorite nest boxes.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

I have 6 boxes for 20 girls, which at first were stacked 3 on 3. They only used the bottom ones, so I took the top ones down and found another place to put them lower. They all get used now. But they still have their favorites. Out of 13 eggs yesterday, 5 were in one box, and 3 in another.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Oh hun, don't feel bad. My chooks were living in an extremely large pen (we had to keep enlarging it) on our screened porch until they were 22 weeks old - yep! that 5 1/2 months old! My SO tore both rotator cuffs in his shoulders building the coop. On the days when he was off work and felt like messing with it, I was sick!
They were still living on the porch when my first hen started laying. Thankfully she found the canvas porch chair to be to her liking. She'd just squawk until I let her out and go straight to the chair.
Since moving to their coop the hens have all been real commited to using their nest boxes. I frequently see a hen or two walking back to the coop from far away to lay their eggs. I hope to keep it that way.

 

[jossanne]

We got 15 eggs today. Out of 9 available nests, one nest had 9 eggs in it. One nest had 4. Two other nests had 1 each. Silly chickens!

 

[cmom]

Rte.66_chicks :

I have 6 boxes for 20 girls, which at first were stacked 3 on 3. They only used the bottom ones, so I took the top ones down and found another place to put them lower. They all get used now. But they still have their favorites. Out of 13 eggs yesterday, 5 were in one box, and 3 in another.

Chickens are funny. Your's prefer the lower nest boxes and mine lay mostly in the upper nest boxes. There are pics on my BYC Page of my nest boxes.

 

[jossanne]

And mine refuse to use the bottom layer of nest boxes. They like the top best, middle if the top is full, and almost never the bottom.