Chicken not using the nest box

[aart]

For the past 6 months they have used 1 nest box without any problems, waiting their turn, laying in 1 box. The question is why now the change.

Only the chickens know for sure....and they ain't talking!

 

[Swirls76]

They only talk when they want to get out of the coop at 5:00 in the morning! Ha

 

[Cryss]

I am now having the same problem with one of my girls. I have 3 nests. Of my 8 girls 2 or 3 are not currently laying. They prefer nest #1 but have on rare occasions used the others.
My problem child is Kitkit, my only blue egg laying Frost White Legbar which makes it obvious who the culprit is. I wouldn't mind finding the occasional egg in the run or on the coop floor but more often than not the egg has hairline fractures probably from dropping. Fractures happen mostly when she drops her egg over the side of the pop door ramp into the run. I've not noticed her being kept from the nests. It seems like its becoming a bad habit. Some have been in the middle of the coop floor where I almost stepped on it.

Inside the pop door.

Dropped off the ramp.

In the run next to a small guest house coop.

She used to lay in the nest. Now what?

 

[rosemarythyme]

My problem child is Kitkit, my only blue egg laying Frost White Legbar which makes it obvious who the culprit is.

She used to lay in the nest. Now what?

Hmm, have you seen her sitting in the nests at all lately? And does she happen to have an extra fluffy butt?

One of my hens had a bad habit of leaving eggs around the run but I knew she was sitting in the nest box regularly, so it seemed strange the eggs weren't in the nest, but turns out a combination of an extra fluffy rear + eggs with extra sticky bloom = eggs would stick to her rear and then fall off later in the run. If that sounds like your girl, trimming up the fluff can help a lot.

 

[aart]

I am now having the same problem with one of my girls. I have 3 nests. Of my 8 girls 2 or 3 are not currently laying. They prefer nest #1 but have on rare occasions used the others.

Did this start with the new coop?

 

[Cryss]

Hmm, have you seen her sitting in the nests at all lately? And does she happen to have an extra fluffy butt?

One of my hens had a bad habit of leaving eggs around the run but I knew she was sitting in the nest box regularly, so it seemed strange the eggs weren't in the nest, but turns out a combination of an extra fluffy rear + eggs with extra sticky bloom = eggs would stick to her rear and then fall off later in the run. If that sounds like your girl, trimming up the fluff can help a lot.

I have no idea but now I'm going to have to pay closer attention! I never would have thought of that! Thanks!!

Did this start with the new coop?

Actually she had only been laying maybe about a week when we made the move. She, along with t hug e rest if th he flock, were kept in the coop for 3 weeks to acclimate and give us time to build the popway. In that time she laid in the nest. Its been about 3 or so weeks since they have been accessing the run again. Now that I'm thinking about it, it's probably been happening since the release to the run. Occasionally her eggs will be in the nest still, but usually they are somewhere between the nest and the food area in the run, almost a line of drop spots along the way.

I'm beginning to think @rosemarythyme is right. Now I gotta catch her mid puffy butt.