Do not have only ONE nest box!

[Riverbend Farms]

Do not just have one nesting box, even if you only have 2 or 3 chickens. At least one will go broody, take the nesting box and scream at all the other chickens for daring to come in the coop and scare them into laying eggs in the run. I have a coop w/ 3 nesting box and when THAT one OEGB hen goes broody, she scares everyone else into laying in the run otherwise they get screamed at and chased. (She is now in jail for it) If you have 15 chickens, have 30 nesting boxes, it still won't be enough. They will only use 3 and when 3 chickens inevitably get broody and take them, they won't lay in the other nesting boxes.

 

[Down Under]

I have been thinking on a solution to this for a while now, not because of broodies but for higher pecking order birds screaming and kicking lower pecking order birds out as a power trip. The only thing that I can come up with so far is a rollaway nesting box, wide enough to take 5 or 6 hens, that has no dividers in it.

 

[BlueO]

I have a broody duck right now and she just sits loyally and quietly as all the other ducks step directly on her. Oh but if I ever even open the coop door or dare try and candle an egg… she becomes a complete dragon!