entice to use nesting box?

[MonkeyZero]

HI

How are some ways to get hens to use their nestboxes? Is there a method?

Thanks

Sindoora

 

[okiechick57]

You could try putting in some fake eggs........golf balls.... to fake um out?

 

[rooster-red]

Fake eggs worked for me.

 

[MonkeyZero]

I mean they never went in. I have put a cam, put they didnt uses it. Its a cam I hid in some hay.

 

[SeaChick]

Fake eggs, plus actually lifting them up into them several times a day. With one girl I actually watched her and when I could tell she was starting to need to lay, lifted her into the box. Most times she jumped down afterwards, but eventually got the idea. 'Course we only had 5 pullets so this was not super labor intensive!

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
We did the same thing as Seachick. We used fake eggs (ceramic) and we would also pick them up and put them in the nest to show them when they were starting to show signs of laying.. All of my 15 pullets, but one will use the nests. One of my SLW named Psycho likes to lay in the very back left corner on the floor of the coop no matter what we do. We tried to nest train her. (Ha!Ha!) We've tried setting up a crate for her there, but she didn't like it. I think I might try a basket next.

 

[okiechick57]

Top of the morning to you Smitty.

.......
I too had to put my girls up into the nest..........only 2 nest boxes being used now........and both has hens setting on eggs.......so another fake egg in another box and look what happens............ poor little hen !

 

[Wildsky]

One of my girls was laying in the shavings on the floor.....

I made a new nest box (a plastic storage tote with a piece of wood screwed to the front, layed on its side) and put that "new" nest box, RIGHT where I found the eggs..... she's now laying in her new nest

My coop is pretty big so it doesn't make a difference to me where they want their boxes.... if needed I guess I could move it a foot or so a day to where I wanted it, and I bet she'd follow her box!

 

[Wildsky]

Okie, you have a Duck and a chicken in the same nest?

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
You are lucky! I tried putting a crate on it's side w/ cushy straw to line it, but Psycho just didn't like it. She proceeded to lay in the back center of the coop on the ground in the wood shavings. I'm going to try a few other things and see if she likes them.......but her name is Psycho for a reason!