Chickens not laying in best box

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gavpow

gavpow

Hatching
Apr 12, 2015
9
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West Yorkshire UK
Last night I found my first two eggs from my chickens!!. I was told they were 14 week old when I bought them so two have laid aged 15 week. So the first question I'm asking is this normal? Also I found them underneath where they perch on the top half of my coop not in the nest boxes below on the ground floor so to speak. So my second question is will they start to lay in the nest boxes and is there anything I can do to encourage this?

I have 6 chickens in total all the same age but different breeds and this is my first time owning chickens.

Cheers,
Gavin.
West Yorkshire uk.
 
Chickens are supposed to start laying at about 17-18 weeks so 15 weeks sounds slightly strange are you sure that they were 14 weeks and how big is their comb? About the nesting box chickens sometimes need a little help to find where they're supposed to lay maybe put a fake egg in to help them know where to lay you could also move their previously laid egg into the nesting box I hope this works and good luck.
 
Mine have always found there way. It may just be so new to them that they aren't sure what to do. A fake egg is a good idea but you still have to put them in the box to show them where its at.
 
Hi :welcome Gavin from East Yorkshire UK

Glad you could join the flock! Congrats on your first two eggs!! I agree with above some fake eggs could help in the nest box. Also plenty of nice bedding for them to nest in and lay and reasonably dark for them too. Drop by the behaivour and egg laying section too for threads on this behaivour. Here is the link > https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/18/chicken-behaviors-and-egglaying

Wishing you the very best of luck, enjoy BYC and all the chicken chat :frow
 
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A golf ball or two in each nest will work too. Chickens prefer a darkened area to lay eggs. Some people put a small curtain at the front of the nest box but, open in the middle, so the hen has her privacy. This may work for you.
 
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Glad you joined, you've got some very good advise from the other members!
 

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