Advice training hens to use new nest box?

[rascal66]

Husband just installed 3 new nest boxes, the kind that is designed for the eggs to roll away from the hen after the egg is layed.

About half of the hens I have used to use this style box and know to lay their eggs inside, however my other half don't have any idea so far.

The box looks like the "Best Nest Box" roll out style. (If you google that)

What I've done so far, to try to encourage them, is raise some of the red flaps so that they can see in the box, and lay down a little bit of hay with a couple fake eggs.

The untrained hens are laying on the floor instead of the box..

So just looking to see what else I could do to help encourage laying in the box? I figured of they see other hens laying in there, they would too, right? Wish me luck

 

[ChickNanny13]

How many layers vs nest boxes? Maybe removing the flaps?

My nest box is a huge plastic dog house, some use plastic crates, 5 gal buckets, there's a variety of ideas but I'm thinking the flaps maybe the newbies issue.

 

[rascal66]

How many layers vs nest boxes? Maybe removing the flaps?

My nest box is a huge plastic dog house, some use plastic crates, 5 gal buckets, there's a variety of ideas but I'm thinking the flaps maybe the newbies issue.

That is definitely something I could try, to maybe temporarily remove them.. I have about 15 - 30 active layers, but the boxes are fairly large. I'll just have to experiment maybe

 

[aart]

Best Nest Box

This one?
https://bestnestbox.com/products/ne...laway-nest-box-reversible?variant=38757296516

I have about 15 - 30 active layers, but the boxes are fairly large.

Are the ones not using them new layers?
And you have 3 total of these large nests?

 

[cmom]

A few years ago someone gave me a coop with similar nest boxes. They had the covers over the boxes and my birds in that coop wouldn't go into the nest boxes. I didn't have a way to hang a feeder in that coop like my other coops so I put their feed in a big pan and they would lay in their feed pan. Once I removed the flaps they started using the nest boxes.

 

[rascal66]

This one?
https://bestnestbox.com/products/ne...laway-nest-box-reversible?variant=38757296516

Are the ones not using them new layers?
And you have 3 total of these large nests?

Yep, that's the one.
No they are not new layers. I have some young ones but I'm expecting them to lay in the next month or so. Amd yes I got 3, they are set up stacked o ln each other.

 

[rascal66]

A few years ago someone gave me a coop with similar nest boxes. They had the covers over the boxes and my birds in that coop wouldn't go into the nest boxes. I didn't have a way to hang a feeder in that coop like my other coops so I put their feed in a big pan and they would lay in their feed pan. Once I removed the flaps they started using the nest boxes.

I'm going to try to raise up the flaps, all of them to see of it helps any. Thanks!

 

[aart]

I'm going to try to raise up the flaps, all of them to see of it helps any.

That might help....along with time, they don't like 'new stuff'.

 

[cmom]

They are creatures of habit and routine.

 

[ChickNanny13]