Bantam laying confusion.

[RustysProvider]

My splash rose combs bantams lay in the run. I need assistance in tricking them into laying in the nest box or at least make laying in there more appealing. Being that the run is covered it is a pain to retrieve what they lay in there. Also I would like to avoid wasting these little eggs, I have younger birds that have began pecking the eggs if they see them or it layed. I just want to avoid all of this. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[TXchickmum]

Do they have nest boxes in the coop/share a coop with other standard chickens? Do they have their own coop/run? Sometimes standard birds may pick at bantams (pecking order). If this is the case, they may be keeping them from the nest boxes they preference if all of them lay at relatively the same time. All of my standard gals lay in the same nest boxes at the same time, daily. My little Japanese bantam will lay in different nest boxes, once in the run, and once underneath a large planter of trailing asparagus fern. My OEGB lays in various nest boxes as well. The bantams lay at different times of the day - never any particular schedule. They just seem to be quite different. My standards don't seem to be picky about nesting material, whereas the bantams are. I have extra "fluff" in their nest boxes, as they like to fix it just so. Also, if they lay at particular times during the day, you might want to keep them in the coop during this time and out of the run. Perhaps they will be more apt to utilize the nest boxes. -best of luck, and I hope you find what works for you and your birds!

 

[RustysProvider]

They have gotten used to the idea of laying in the box. These are basically wild chickens I picked up from some Amish.

 

[RustysProvider]

The are in their own coop as you can see in my bantam album.