Chickens not laying in nest boxes

[mackenzie450]

Help! My chickens just started laying. My RSL has been giving me an egg a day in the nest box for a couple weeks. There are also golf balls in them. Yesterday upon closing up the run for the night I noticed three eggs in the coop. One of which was in the poop box under the roost, two underneath the poop box. How do I teach them to lay in the boxes?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Keep fake eggs or golf balls in the nestboxes. Most figure it out as long as your boxes are appealing.

 

[mackenzie450]

Keep fake eggs or golf balls in the nestboxes. Most figure it out as long as your boxes are appealing.

I've had golf balls in there since I opened them up when they were 17 weeks. I have wood shavings and golf balls. The best boxes aren't quite 12 inches. They are about 11". Is that too small?!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most hens get used to whatever boxes you have. The recommended size is 12 inches square, but some like them slightly bigger. They should be darkened and about 2-3 feet off the ground with a roost in front of them. Many times a young rooster will point out the boxes to young hens, without a rooster they base their decisions on whether someone else has laid there often. I have had better luck with fake ceramic eggs, my hens never seemed thrilled with golf balls. Yours should eventually lay in your boxes if they like them.