Anybody without a nest box? I'm about ready to take mine out!

[smalltownchicks]

The girls have only been coming in the coop to lay eggs, I have to put them in at night...anyhow, they were laying in the corner, behind the nest boxes. I had 2 side by side boxes that were "cornered". Behind the box was about 2 feet of shavings. That's where they were laying. So I moved the boxes so there wasn't any high corner for them to lay. I got one egg in the box yesterday but today, 5 eggs were on the coop floor in the same corner as the high nesting spot used to be. I can't even find the spot on wooden eggs that were in the nest to help them figure it out. Ugg!
Do I just remove the nests? I have to do an acrobat move to get over the nest boxes to get the eggs in the far corner.

 

[ChicKat]

sounds like your chickens like something behind the nesting boxes more than the boxes themselves. Do you have enough 'privacy' or 'darkness' for them inside the nest boxes. Could you turn them in such a fashion that they would be a little darker, but you would still be able to reach the eggs? Like make them face away from the light, or face each other?

 

[donrae]

I don't use one. My hens never layed in them, so we took them out. They lay in an old clawfoot tub in the coop, or between it and the wall. I try to keep some hay or shavings there for a little nest but that's not always happening.

 

[Ole and Lena]

I get a few in the nest boxes, the rest in a ground nest under the nest boxes. They started the big ground nest one day, built from feathers and some leaves that blew in this fall. Not uncommon for 3 or 4 to be sitting in it at once. I started out removing it and going down to clean shavings, but they were persistent. Now I've given up. I just clean the poop out of the nest once in awhile (they keep it pretty clean) and replace the pile of leaves every couple weeks. At least they quit laying in the #^#^ hayloft between the bales.

 

[mnabity]

Can you put the nest box where they have been laying? If that doesn't work I would just take them out. As long as they aren't laying them where they'll get stepped on or damaged I think they'll be fine. My hens have been laying underneath their coop in the corners even though they have 3 nest boxes so I just gave in made little access doors so I can reach in easily to get them.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Mine all lay on the floor under the raised nesting boxes--I give up, just let them do it. LOL

 

[branston]

I had the same thing happening and then because I was taking the eggs daily, they started laying out in the woods. Now, I leave one egg in each nest box every day to encourage them to lay in them and they do, but I still have some that lay on the floor of the coop. I have 6 - 8 inches of Swift bedding on the floor so it's not a big deal if they lay there and it makes it easier for me to take the eggs from the boxes and put a fresh egg from the floor into each nest box for the next day

 

[kathyinmo]

It does help to put fake eggs (or golf balls) in the nests. They will see them and start laying there. Anyway mine did.

 

[smalltownchicks]

I have thick shavings on the floor, but it sure would be nice to reach in the cute little egg door to grab eggs out of the nestbox

I am getting eggs and they are in the coop so I should be happy. I'm learning that chickens are a bit like kids, they don't always do what the books say they are gonna!!