All hens only use one box

[HBuehler]

We have more than enough nest boxes for our hens as well but one is the chosen box.Mine will stand and wait griping at the one in the box I'm guessing to hurry up...maybe they don't see the same luxury box next door.
We just

at them and tell them they are bird brains and walk away.

 

[consdrs]

I have that problem in the coop with divided boxes and in my new coop we only have one big nest. they all seem to be happy. even though I have a broody that is in there all the time, no one complains.

 

[schellie69]

I had the same problem had 2 nest boxes on red one blue none of them would use the blue so took it out and put another red box in and now they use it, but they still have a line for the 1st box I kept putting the one waiting into the other nest box it took a few days but they seem to finally got it, I need one more nest box I have 2 and 10 hens 3 were not laying until this last week so need to get another red one in the coop, one chicken lays her's in the corner of coop or corner where they dust bath need to work on her,

if its not one thing with them its another. just glad I am not only one having this problem.

 

[raspeary]

I wouldn't worry. I have 3 girls who lay in the back corner of the coop next to the nesting boxes then i only have one nesting box used....I think it s fairly normal.

 

[OverEZ]

I've had the same situation, every hen using one box, and egg production was fine. I tried to break up the routine by altering all six nesting boxes, making them more cozy and private, and egg production became irregular. After a week we are back to one box but now one is laying on her perch, I had to create a "catch net" to prevent that one hitting the "poop deck" and breaking every morning. Another has stopped laying all together. I should have just left them alone. Hens are very sensitive to any changes and upset easily.

 

[gsim]

I seem to have a 'hot nest' too. It is the one that had the first egg laid in it. Seems the others want to use it the most too. I have 12 nests at same ht (24"). Some of the others have come into laying mode now and are spreading out. Still, the one on the far left is the hot nest. (Maybe I have more socialists than free-market chooks?) I have seen them standing there squawking impatiently at one that is doing her thing in there. Imagine complaining because one is working while the complainer watches! They are like socialists !

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I use this behavior to explain to my children the logic & intelligence -- or lack of it -- behind following fads & fashion. Chickens don't like to think too much, it must hurt their tiny little heads. So when they see eggs (or something egg-like) in a nest they say "Well now, SOMEhen thinks that's a great place to lay their eggs, so it MUST be good enough for me!" and so they do. Seeing another hen actually in the nest is further proof of the superiority of that particular place. The sight of a broody hen setting on a nest gets them really excited. "Wow! She thinks that place is so secure she's going to raise a family there! Move over, lady, let me give you one of MY eggs to incubate!"

If one hen started to wear Ugg boots or carry an iPhone all the rest of the flock would soon do the same.

Actually, this communal nesting behavior isn't so dumb. An animal's goal in life is to pass it's DNA along to another generation. By adding their eggs to a broody hen's clutch they're increasing their chances of meeting that goal, even if something should happen to them. What's not natural is a bird who will lay an egg almost every day of the year with no intention of ever incubating them. It's impressive that they retain any shred of instinctual behavior after thousands of years of selective breeding.

 

[cap1717]

Quote:
Yes, I did too. . . one big box, big enough for two or three hens at a time although they tend to "wait their turn". . . .I also have several nest boxes out in the yard, and if the need is "urgent" and they don't want to share, or just want a bit more privacy, they can and will use those. . . . fun for me cause it's an "easter egg" hunt every day at my house. Also, if one of the hens is in one of the smaller individual boxes, one of the other girls is always standing there watching. . . do you suppose they want to be "midwife" chickens?

 

[mandelyn]

I have 3 nesting areas, 2 made by me, one made by them. The two I made, they use one. The other, I altered it to look exactly like the other, same size, shape, bedding... they still won't use it. The other site they chose, is open, and is on top of the nesting area. The nesting area is like it's own room off the main coop, with a roof, that has about 7 inches of clearance from the main roof. There's 2 hens that will lay up there. So I lined it and made the area smaller, to prevent "lost" eggs, eggs falling/rolling off.... made it safer since they insisted on using it.

 

[schellie69]

Well up until last week hens were laying great then no eggs for 2 days in a row, I am not sure but i think they are molting, had one hen go broody on me just took golf ball out of nest and she was fine but the other hens stopped laying in the nest which was the preferred nest box, so had to put golf ball back in nest so the others would start laying again, I have tried taking the golf balls out many times and they stop using the nest and lay eggs where ever so the golf balls have to stay in the nest boxes

I am hoping they start laying again soon every time I put straw in the nest boxes they seem to have to take it all out until there is hardly any left I am not sure what to do about this if it is not one thing with the chickens its another it seems oh the joy of having chickens