Discouraging laying eggs outside of nest boxes in new pullets...

[Mexiontheloose]

So I'm getting ever so increasingly excited as the days go on! My girls will be 18 weeks old tomorrow and I think my Speckled Sussex is getting ready to start laying. I've caught her building a "nest spot" in the corner of the coop even though the next box is open.

I'm trying to nip this in the bud right now, so I've put a bucket in that corner upside down. Of course this was after breaking up the nest spot several times today. When I put the bucket in there she became quite ticked off at me and let me have it, all vocal abuse that is lol.

What are some ways that I can gently show her the nest box? I've already helped her into there, and she doesn't really care for it, per se. I even put a golf ball in there that she checked out. Hopefully she realizes that is where she needs to lay her first egg....but only time will tell!

 

[Mexiontheloose]

So I realized what it was....she did NOT like the pine shavings that were in the bottom of the next box. I put straw in there and she IMMEDIATELY went into there and dug her nesting space! Practicing

Original Solution LOL




After putting straw in the box Wendy IMMEDIATELY went into there. And now Carnie (The Black Australorp) is standing outside of the nestbox doing the egg song! What in the world! LOL I've never heard any of them do it! LOL




Come on eggs. COME ON EGGS!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ha! She's a picky one.

 

[rosebuds]

my chicks are 18 weeks and it looks like they are snooping in the nest boxes.i have small wooden eggs in the boxes.last night i saw the chick that has been investigating.one of my leg horns.i am hoping to get eggs soon.i have 6 nest boxes and she has been in all of them moving the hay around so i think it will be soon.

 

[Mexiontheloose]

So.....after all that yesterday...we had our first egg this morning! But she layed it down in the run!

 

[Mexiontheloose]

Here it is!



In comparison to a store bought egg Not bad for her first egg! It's a gorgeous shape!!!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Congrats! It's not at all uncommon for them to miss the box at first. Give them a week and they usually make it to the boxes.

 

[mrsodell1980]

We just found out last night that our 4 girls are laying in the straw in the barn and in their nesting boxes in the coop. We found a whole bag of eggs out there! Up until probably a month ago, they were all 4 laying in the nesting boxes, I'm assuming, because we had 4 eggs per day. Then it was 2 eggs per day, and lately only 1 egg per day. We let them out early, probably around 7am and they run around our 80 acres all day. Any thoughts on how to get them laying in the nesting boxes again?

We got these hens as chicks on Easter (it was a coincidence!) just to give you an idea on their ages...

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sneaky girls - lock them up in the coop/run for a few days. (just so they can't get to the barn)

 

[mrsodell1980]

Sneaky girls - lock them up in the coop/run for a few days. (just so they can't get to the barn)

I was wondering if that would work! Will do!