Eggs on the Floor

[train2110]

We have only had chickens beginning last July. In the fall, we added on to our coop and rearranged the roosts. We were planning on four to five birds and now have nine (with more in the spring??). After the rearranging, a few of the hens decided to sleep in the nesting boxes instead of the roosts. We have sense fixed that problem, but now they only lay their eggs on the floor in the corner of the coop and do not go anywhere near the nesting boxes. In the beginning, it was not much of a problem, but with cold weather they are spending more time in the coop and the eggs are being buried when other chickens are scratching through the wood shavings on the floor.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get them to use the nesting boxes again?

We put a golf ball in each nesting box when we got them last year and that worked. The golf ball does not seem to be working now.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I would move things around just a tad, and add plastic colored easter eggs to the nesting boxes. For some reason, no matter how much change my girls go through, they always look for the plastic easter eggs, and lay where they are.

just my two cents, but i'm kinda new too .. only had chickens since last Apr.

 

[amydurose]

Same here i got fake eggs when mine were babies, and now they use the boxes with the eggs. If I swap them round they follow.

 

[obaan1]

I suggest putting a temporary nesting box on the floor in the corner that they are using. (maybe a plastic milk crate or whatever you have on hand) This way your eggs will hopefully be in a more secure location until you collect them. Once they return to using the boxes that you prefer, take out the corner box back out. Congratulations on passing the "chicken math" test.
My four magically turned into twenty four.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

Mine have been laying in the hay box in our barn, which I don't mind. However, one bad girl like to hide her eggs, but seemed to like the hay. So, although I have pine shavings in the coop, I filled the nest boxes with hay. It immediately got their attention!! They made nesst in all four, but I found 2 in one box today, one in another. The bad bird- nope- she's still hiding them....

PS- I like the temp. nest box idea, put in their fave spot- maybe they'll lay in it?

 

[train2110]

I believe we have a box or two in the shed that would work as a temp nest. We have talked about hay in the nest boxes before. I came home from work and asked my wife about the Easter boxes and plastic eggs. She looked at me like I had three heads growing out of my a$$, explained and she just giggled at me.

Will keep everyone posted...

 

[LeezyBeezy]

The plastic eggs worked for me last year, when I firs got my two hens. They were laying on the floor, in a corner of the coop. I filled two plastic eggs with dirt (for weight) and put them in. Within a week they started using the nest box.

 

[MareeZoCool]

My hens hide their eggs if they see me removing their eggs. I have to trick them, give treats outside the coop, so they are busy eating and not interested in my activity. They just know we're busy with the straw. We replace the nesting straw daily.