Chickens now won't use nest box

[Weve3Chickens123]

I have two pullets almost 6 months old, so anticipating them starting to lay soon I placed a plastic egg in the nest box they seemed to really like, thinking it would give them an idea.Well now they won't go into the nest box. I've removed the egg, but they still seem suspicious. I guess if they are going to lay an egg , they'll do it where ever they feel like it , but I just thought it strange of them to act that way, when many folks suggested the idea.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Do you have a picture of your nesting boxes? If you post, I can tell you if there is anything you can improve to encourage them to lay in them. Most likely they will go to the boxes when they are ready to lay. If not, it will nto keep them from laying so if you find eggs anywhere else, you can work on convincing them to lay there. They like nest boxes that are dark and secluded to make them feel comfortable laying.

 

[nivtup]

They do tend to freak out a bit when things around the coop change.

I say leave it and let them get used to it.


Good luck and enjoy the eggs.

 

[Weve3Chickens123]

To NIVTUP: Yes it freaked them out the night a toad managed to get up the ladder into their coop... they both cowered in the urthest corner away until I removed it.

Bellevueomlet: I'm embarrassed to say its a rabbit hutch converted to a coop so 2/3's of it is open in the front ( I closed up the side that WAS just mesh) and 1/3 is closed off on three sides, opening to the main area with a 10'' arch, giving them about 2 square feet of privacy ( which now they will not enter!). The whole thing, however is enclosed in a 13x10 dog pen, covered across the top with poultry netting and also around the lower 2 1/2 feet to keep critters out. They fuss about that until they put them selves to bed, after which I lock them in.