Everyone's favorite nesting box...

[kaki]

Greetings,
I have 3 beautiful chickens (of still unknown breed) still less than a year old. They are laying well but always in the same nesting box. I made 3 boxes all next to each other, but I sometimes see them queuing up to use the favorite one. They also used to have a secret nest in the garden, but i put a stop to that by leaving a big piece of dead coral (from the ocean) in that spot.

It's not a big problem, but I'm curious as to why they do it, and if I can easily rectify it.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

They see one hen laying there an egg in the nest and it signals them that this is a good safe place to lay eggs.

Try putting a fake egg or golf ball into the other less popular nests and this will encourage others to lay there.

Although, I don't think it's a problem if more than one hen shares a nest provided they both fit. I had a problem with my 9lb Jersey Giant going in and sitting on top of my 3.5lb EE and just crushing her. There was feather pulling and squawking and it was just painful to watch. I put a few plastic Easter Eggs in the two less desirable nests and voila. Peace and harmony once again prevailed.

 

[CheerioLounge]

I often find 3 hens all sitting in the nesting box at the same time! It's hilarious!

I have 3 nesting boxes all with a fake egg in them and the girls seem to rotate which nest they use.

 

[Patricia Jane]

I have 4 nesting boxes for 9 chickens. They will usually always lay in one but every so often my leghorn will switch it up and use the others. Some times they have a waiting line going for the same box and sometimes they don't wait and are piling on top of each other. chickens are funny.

 

[kaki]

Thanks for the replies, I used to have fake eggs in all of the boxes but I took them out when they started laying regularly. Where did I put them after taking them out...?

 

[Chick Charm]

Chickens are neurotic and I love them for it. All my hens ALWAYS lay in the same nest box. I have made them 4 beautiful nests but they lay in the same ol boring one each and every day. All eight of them. And yes they will wait to lay just to have that nest. Funny!

Oh and my experiences tell me if they start to lay in the garden then someone may go broody on you soon. And that's not the worst thing to happen "IF" you have rooster around. Otherwise it just robs me of my precious eggs.

 

[bleith]

I made it real easy, I only gave them one nest box.

 

[CinnamonQueen12]

10 chickens, 5 nesting boxes, all of them choose the one in the corner (at least, the ones that are currently laying) 4 chickens fighting over one box while 3 others watch and wait their turn is annoying!

 

[kaki]

Today I found an egg in the middle box!!!
I dug out the fake eggs and put them in, and it seemed to work.

Chickens are great...