boxes to lay eggs in...

[wegotchickens2]

We have 7 young hens, that have recently started to lay. there are 7 hens, and 4 boxes for them to use... the issue is that they all seem to lay in just one of the boxes, occasionally two... the row of boxes is against the coop wall, but the one they all like is in the corner, where the row of boxes meets the next wall. They disrupt each other when trying to lay, even crown 2 into that specific box.. and the dominant hens we think are plucking the feathers off the others heads. solutions? thanks!

 

[swtangel321]

First.......

This is a very common thing among hens, All mine like the same box also. If someone is in the main box they might go to the other liked box. Not sure if there is much you can do about it, most of the time if someone is in the main box the others will wait there turn.

 

[ChickenToes]

My hens were the same way when they first started to lay. My nesting boxes are actually 5 gallon buckets. 3 of them were white and one was yellow. Well, they all just had to use the yellow one. But as time went on, they began to use the other boxes, especially when I took the pine shavings out and put straw in them.

 

[gritsar]

Yep, no matter how many nest boxes I give them there is THE nest box that everyone wants to use. Some of my newer layers have decided they're sick of waiting their turn and have started using other boxes. If you haven't already, try adding golf balls or plastic eggs to each nest. That'll give them the idea that other nest boxes are safe to use as well.

 

[Chicken Woman]

Sometimes I will find all 6 eggs in the same box and I have 6 boxes !
Can't seem to figure them out sometimes !!! And all that work to make enough boxes