Favorite nest box?

MarkJr

Free Ranging
Jun 15, 2020
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I have four nest boxes for what will be 15 layers. Right now I have 3 laying, 8 at should be laying yesterday stage.

From 7-9 am the last few days the coop is loud. Sounds almost like an egg song, but not quite. There’s one in the box. Two or three outside the box screaming their fool lungs off.

They will stop for a couple minutes, then start back up. Every time the layer in the box leaves, and the process starts again. This time with one less in the cheering section.

Is this normal? My last batch of hens didn’t do this. It’s like they think if they get loud enough, the box will magically empty. Mind you, there’s three identical boxes right next to it.
 
They are choosing favorites, as you said. It's because hens think that safe places where others are laying eggs must also be safe for their eggs. It's not logical, but it's how they think. Put some fake eggs in the other boxes to make the hens think that the others are also safe.
 
Yes, it's normal. Sometimes removing a partition so that more can fit in the same nest alleviates the problem. 'The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.'
 
They are choosing favorites, as you said. It's because hens think that safe places where others are laying eggs must also be safe for their eggs. It's not logical, but it's how they think. Put some fake eggs in the other boxes to make the hens think that the others are also safe.
They all have a ceramic egg in them.
 
Yes, it's normal. Sometimes removing a partition so that more can fit in the same nest alleviates the problem. 'The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.'

So would 2 double size nest boxes be enough for 15?
 
I guess they’ve gotten over wanting just one. Interrupted a lady, but I have 5 eggs in the boxes. Once she finishes, it’ll be 6. Two ends doubled up, center 2 with singles.
 

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