Advice/experiences needed - 12 hole "commercial" nest box

[RM44]

I purchased a 12 hole commercial nest box (PAX brand) that is made of aluminum or galvanized metal. The entire thing is probably about 5 feet long, with 6 boxes on top and 6 on the bottom. (I'm sure many of you have seen these). I think the boxes are about 10 inches wide by 12 inches tall. However, the entrance hole is only about 7-8 inches because the metal lip in the front is about 5 inches tall (to hold nesting materials in, I'm guessing).

Anyway, I set my boxes up yesterday as one of my birds laid her first egg. The bottom of the bottom box is about 2-2.5 feet off the floor, and the perch leading into the top boxes is about 3 inches lower than the highest roost in the coop.

My problem is that none of the hens seem interested in even going into the boxes. Today I took my first layer and set her on the perch to see if she would enter the nest box. She wouldn't. I tried to "shove" her in there, but she barely fit through the opening, and she objected and flapped around wildly, refusing to go in.

How many of you use these boxes? Have any of you had trouble getting the hens to lay in them? The boxes my husband hand made in the last coop were much more roomy and the hens seemed to love them, but I really like the commercial boxes because they are easy to remove and clean, and move around.

Please share your experiences with me.

 

[Texasboy4ever]

Try putting golf balls in the nest the chicken will see them and maybe go in there. I have ceramic nest eggs in some of my nest and they go in. I have a GQF 8 hole nest box and they seem to like it fine. Make sure the roost is higher than the nest box or they will roost in it

 

[newchicksnducks]

Some birds are just slow to "get it". I had my nest boxes up for about a month before they began laying. Never saw one of them check out the boxes, no curious nosing about, etc. My first layer, an EE, started laying on the coop floor. She had a favorite corner, so I put a box in that corner, hoping she would use the nest boxes...no, she just used another corner! After 2 or three weeks of floor laying by herself, I heard a commotion in the coop. I found 5 or 6 of my pullets checking out the nest boxes all at the same time! Later that afternoon, I found 5 eggs in the four nest boxes, and all the artificial eggs tossed on the coop floor! After 2 days of my new layers using the boxes, my original EE layer started to use the boxes too, and never reverted back to laying on the coop floor. Hope your floor layer will catch on too Here's a picture of their first day checking out the boxes. (The white EE butt belongs to the coop layer...she checked out the boxes with the other girls that day, but it took her a couple days to figure out that they had a good idea in using those little dark nests!)

And here's what they thought of my artificial, weighted Easter eggs...

Use golf balls, ceramic or wooden eggs, etc to help them get the idea. If they don't like them, they'll take care of them!

 

[Dora'smom]

I use golf balls for mine, too. I was surprised how expensive they were when I checked 'em out at the store, but managed to find a partial box that got marked down. They are great for coaxing hens to lay in the boxes. I put two in each, and only one has been thrown out, once. I think it was totally accidental, when someone was just very enthusiastically flinging the pine shavings around to make a proper nest shape.

Golf balls are about the right size, and heavy enough that they stay put, and are easily washed, if need be.
Good luck with your birds.