Egg box training for Ameraucanas

[kittylovesjar]

Hi all Wondering if anyone has experience with egg box training for Ameraucanas. I have 7 ISA Browns hens that started laying eggs on the floor of their coop. I got a 6 pack of ceramic fake nest eggs to put in the nest boxes, kept them in the coop for a couple days, and it worked like a charm. Now they only lay in the nest boxes. However, I recently got 5 Ameraucana laying hens and they started also laying on the floor of the coop. The brown ceramic eggs don’t seem to be doing anything for them. In fact, today I found their stash of pale blue eggs in the yard under a pile of brush. Any suggestions for encouraging the Ameraucanas to use the nest boxes? I see online that I can buy blue ceramic nest eggs. Will the blue color make a difference to them if the brown ones aren’t working for them? Can they tell the color difference and does it matter to them? Do hens get territorial over their nest boxes? Could my ISA Brown ladies be preventing the newer Ameraucanas from feeling comfortable to use the boxes? (We have 8 nest boxes in the coop, although the ISA Browns all only use the same 2 every day) Or maybe someone has experience with another method of training? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[CluckerFamily]

I lectured by flock when they first started laying on the coop floor.
I gathered them all together and gave them this lecture "You can not lay an egg on the floor. Someone could step on it and that is not a good chicken momma." (I talk to my chickens all the time and they know and respond to their names) During the lecture all but one was looking at me, she was the guilty layer After this, I haven't had an issue again.

How old are the young ladies? Maybe they just need some time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Color of fakes makes no real difference.

How long since you've gotten these new birds? Are they integrating well with the others, no fuss inside the coop otherwise?

Have you ever seen them exploring the nest boxes at all? They might not be aware of them or where they're located, even if it's right in front of their faces.

 

[aart]

Color of fakes makes no real difference.

How long since you've gotten these new birds? Are they integrating well with the others, no fuss inside the coop otherwise?

Have you ever seen them exploring the nest boxes at all? They might not be aware of them or where they're located, even if it's right in front of their faces.

Ditto All Dat^^^

 

[kittylovesjar]

I lectured by flock when they first started laying on the coop floor.
I gathered them all together and gave them this lecture "You can not lay an egg on the floor. Someone could step on it and that is not a good chicken momma." (I talk to my chickens all the time and they know and respond to their names) During the lecture all but one was looking at me, she was the guilty layer After this, I haven't had an issue again.

How old are the young ladies? Maybe they just need some time.

The new girls are about a year and a half.

 

[kittylovesjar]

Color of fakes makes no real difference.

How long since you've gotten these new birds? Are they integrating well with the others, no fuss inside the coop otherwise?

Have you ever seen them exploring the nest boxes at all? They might not be aware of them or where they're located, even if it's right in front of their faces.

Thank you so much for your answer about the color of the fake eggs!
The new ladies are getting along ok with the existing ones. There were a few squabbles when they were introduced, as expected. But other than that they seem to be getting along fine other than they still separate and keep to their own groups while free-ranging during the day. They’re not mingling much and our rooster also doesn’t seem to consider the new girls as part of his group. I haven’t seen him show interest in mating with them at all and he doesn’t keep an eye on them like he does with the other girls. They’re pretty much on their own during the day.
The new girls are sleeping in some of the nest boxes at night. Not sure how to break them of this, maybe they view the boxes as a sleeping place rather than where they would lay eggs.

 

[kittylovesjar]

Ditto All Dat^^^

Thank you so much!

 

[aart]

I haven’t seen him show interest in mating with them at all and he doesn’t keep an eye on them like he does with the other girls. They’re pretty much on their own during the day.

Odd, especially if they are laying.
The older birds may be keeping the newbies out of the coop, so they can't lay there?

The new girls are sleeping in some of the nest boxes at night. Not sure how to break them of this, maybe they view the boxes as a sleeping place rather than where they would lay eggs.

Cover the nests an hour before roost time, uncover them after dark or by first light in the morning.

Do you have enough roosts for all your birds?
I have separate roosts, a bit lower, for new birds (usually young pullets).
Pics of your nests and roosts might garner some specific suggestions.

 

[Mistycarmony84]

I agree make sure they all have enough roost space and maybe try adding a few more nesting boxes.