First eggs, a disgruntled chicken, and a question

[tiny529]

Hi! I have 5 pullets that I got as day old chicks in late June. I didn't expect to get any eggs until the spring but I was pleasantly surprised by a huge mound of pale blue-green eggs (12 in all) when I checked the coop yesterday. Since I had only checked inside the coop 4 days before and saw nothing, I assume that Trixie had hidden them under the pine shavings. I gathered all but one since I read somewhere that one should be left in the nest (now I'm reading that I should leave a golfball? Somehow I doubt she'll be fooled!)

Today I decided to move the "spare" egg into the nestbox since she's laying under the as of yet unused roosts. If everyone suddenly decides to use the roosts, the eggs will get tromped or pooped on. Anyway, Trixie flipped. She didn't see me move the egg but she went into the coop as soon as I was done and rolled the egg out of the nest box. Then she went to the coop door and bawk bawk BAGAAAAAWK'd at me repeatedly. Then she went back into the coop, rolled the egg a little more, squawking and muttering the whole time before coming back to the coop door and yelling at me again. This went on about 4 times before I got the hint and moved the egg all the way back to her chosen nest spot. After that, she was fine and back to her normal self.

Though that was kind of funny (and a little obnoxious... My girls are never that noisy!), I'm concerned about the eggs. How can I get Trixie to move into the nest box instead of laying under the roosts? Or do I just accept her nest choice and move the roosts since no one ever uses them anyway?

 

[chickenbaguette]

If she's anything like my Soup, there's no way you'll ever get her into a sensible place. Soup moves her nest every so often, so maybe she'll decide to lay in the nest box one day, but nothing you can do will get her to move until then. Surprisingly, ping-pong balls do work. I've never tried a golf ball, but try putting one beside her when she's broody - if she thinks it's an egg she'll carefully tuck it under herself. However I think golf balls are too far removed from the real thing to be convincing, and very heavy and knobbly - not very nice to sit on xD