Chickens won't lay in the nesting boxes

[thompsonfarm]

Hi I'm having a issue with my chickens that are 16 weeks old we have a couple just starting to lay. The only problem is there laying on one of my shelves in the garage. After we saw that we decided we wouldn't let them free range so they would be forced to lay in the coop. We left them in a couple days with no eggs at all. So we figured we let them out and try again every couple days. When we let them out the two which were laying ran to the garage and both layed eggs. We have golf balls in the nesting boxes and are kinda stuck not knowing what to do.thanks for any suggestion you may have.

 

[TwoCrows]

I am also new to chickens and their laying habits, but I have heard that those ceramic eggs work really well as they look more real than golf balls. Place a few in the nest boxes and maybe that will temp them into laying in the boxes instead of the garage.

 

[thompsonfarm]

ill give it a shot thanks.

 

[Chick Charm]

Your chickens will likely go to a dark and secluded place that they feel safe. Wether that be your coop or another laying safe haven. I would be sure to make the nest box you want them to lay in to be a DARK, cool place no bigger than 12'' X 12''with 5 sides (top, bottom and 3 sides) if possible. You can train them to lay just about anywhere. Heck, I have even made free standing Laying Boxes near my back door for the free ranging hens so that I didn't have to walk to the coop and that even worked. Put some golf balls in your nest and that should help as well.

Happy laying!