Funny birds

[Artic Chick]

I have 5 chickens that all lay their eggs in the same nesting box, usually. Lately only 1 of them lays her egg in the nesting box and the other 4 lay on the coop floor. They burrow down into the bedding, I have quite alot because I do the deep litter method. The 4 hens all lay their eggs in the hole they created in the bedding. They always lay on the bare floor no matter how much hay I put in they flick it out to get to the bare floor. It is getting colder now, could that be the reason they are doing this. Does anyone have any ideas. I'm just curious. Thank you

 

[Brady bunch]

I think that you should use a little less bedding. We don’t have very much in our coop. Do you put rocks or other items that look like eggs in the nest box?

 

[Artic Chick]

They have always used the nesting boxes before its just lately they have started this .

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have 4 nest boxes and before my pullets started laying, all 5 of my older hens were laying in one nest. I didn't want all of my pullets to do the same, I think I had about 15 at the time. So I put 2 golf balls in each nest. Hooray, all the older birds started laying in all the nests! And when the pullets started laying, they used all the nests too! This doesn't answer the question of why your hens are doing what they're doing ... but it may help you get them off the floor and back on the nests. Good luck!

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

So I’m not sure if this is what’s happening but could their nest boxes be getting too much wind or are too cold?
Do you use the same material in your nest boxes? (Does that affect things, I am unsure)
Do you only have the one nesting box or are there multiple? Are they all trying to lay in there at the same time?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes my hens just decide they are gonna make a nest on the floor. Once one does it others seem to follow suit. It can be a hard habit to break.

 

[aart]

I have 5 chickens that all lay their eggs in the same nesting box, usually. Lately only 1 of them lays her egg in the nesting box and the other 4 lay on the coop floor. They burrow down into the bedding, I have quite alot because I do the deep litter method. The 4 hens all lay their eggs in the hole they created in the bedding. They always lay on the bare floor no matter how much hay I put in they flick it out to get to the bare floor. It is getting colder now, could that be the reason they are doing this. Does anyone have any ideas. I'm just curious. Thank you

What kind of bedding is in the nests?
Any chance there might be bugs in nests?
Are you using fake eggs in the nests? They really can help.
Pics of coop and nests might help garner viable suggestions/solutions.

 

[Artic Chick]

The nests are clean and same bedding as usual. Nothing has changed in the nesting boxes . It's just weird that 4/5 decided to lay their eggs somewhere else and all together.

 

[Artic Chick]

I have 4 nest boxes and before my pullets started laying, all 5 of my older hens were laying in one nest. I didn't want all of my pullets to do the same, I think I had about 15 at the time. So I put 2 golf balls in each nest. Hooray, all the older birds started laying in all the nests! And when the pullets started laying, they used all the nests too! This doesn't answer the question of why your hens are doing what they're doing ... but it may help you get them off the floor and back on the nests. Good luck!

 

[Artic Chick]

When I first got them and before they started laying I put false eggs in each box. They just flicked them out every day. Would not leave them in there.