first of the flock has started to lay , except not in the nesting box !

0fchicken89

In the Brooder
Mar 17, 2025
14
9
16
she dug out a little hike for herself in a dark corner of the coop and laid there yesterday, today in a different corner, everywhere except the nesting box. how do i encourage them to lay in the nesting box ? will this behavior change over time ? there are 2 spacious nesting boxes in a corner in the coop , with nesting pads . coop is 5x6 with 9 hens
 
We have golf balls in most of the nest boxes even though the hens range from 1yr - 2yrs old. They use the boxes with the golf balls/fake eggs first.

A couple of ours began laying elsewhere: on the poop board, on the floor (falling from the roost), in a corner, building their own nest etc. Eventually all began to go to the boxes.
 
Where is she in the pecking order? If she's lower down, she might just feel uncomfortable competing with higher ups for the nexting boxes.

A chicken will lay where she feels most comfortable laying. May just be a quirk of hers. Or she could be preparing to go broody, so she decided to make herself a new nest to set in without the other hens trampling on her/her eggs.
 

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