Coop turns into an insane asylum at laying time

[cmarlowdrive]

This explains a lot.
My husband and I were working in the run when our 2 hens started screaming at each other on a busy Saturday morning.
In an effort to make peace so they would stop screaming I went to get the egg out from under the hen in the nest thinking that was the problem, there was no egg. Now I know. They were both wanting to lay in the same box at the same time. By the way, they did not stop screaming after I checked for an egg. The hen in the basket stood her ground and did not move. The other hen eventually moved to another spot. It is funny that out of 4 hens there are 3 egg laying spots and they all seem to like the same laying spot.

 

[mechanic57]

It is funny that out of 4 hens there are 3 egg laying spots and they all seem to like the same laying spot.

You could build 40 nest boxes and have 4 hens and they would fight over the same box. I don't try to understand it, I just let them scream it out.

 

[aart]

Put fake eggs in all the nests and the competition will decrease.......not necessarily the noise tho, haha!

 

[MyChickenCookie]

My girls do the same. I have had two nest (and lay successfully) in the same box at the same time. The brand Happy Hen Treats sells nesting herbs (photo below) that you sprinkle in the boxes to encourage them to lay. You can try sprinkling those in the untouched boxes only so some switch over.

 

[laircy]

Mine too. Right now there are two who want to lay, and they usually lay in different places anyway, and all the others did it earlier in the day, so the nests weren't even occupied! But they kept walking around frantically and making the loud whining noise. At the moment one finally found her nest, but the other one is pacing back and forth at the fence like she wants out. Many times she will fly to her nest, stay there for a minute and then fly back down without having laid the egg. This happened four times in a row one day. Is there any way to make them calm down and just lay their egg, especially since they're not even fighting over space?

 

[mechanic57]

How long have they been mature enough to lay eggs? If they just started laying, they will need time to work out a routine as they get used to what their bodies are doing. Check and make sure there's no mites or other parasites in the nest. This could make them want to avoid sitting there to lay if they get bitten in the process. I found that fake eggs work to get them in the box but after 2 days, they kick the fake eggs out. Also, I use pine shavings for nest box bedding. Mine don't like straw and straw is hollow and can allow mites to live and breed in the straw. Especially if there's a steady supply of chickens squatting in everyday for them to suck blood from.