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

[0fchicken89]

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

 

[BoundlessLove]

Congratulations on your first eggs!
Do you have any fake eggs in the nesting boxes? If not, any golf balls?
This may encourage them.

 

[C Siena]

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.

 

[0fchicken89]

Congratulations on your first eggs!
Do you have any fake eggs in the nesting boxes? If not, any golf balls?
This may encourage them.

i do have fake eggs

 

[TOMTE]

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.