Getting the gals to lay in their nest box...

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Is this possible? I put two ping pong balls in there last week to try and get the point across, but everyday the straw and balls are pulled out and scattered across the coop. Only two of my pullets are laying so far, but it seems that they prefer to leave their eggs on the coop floor or on the dirt in the middle of their run. It's not the end of the world, just slightly inconvenient.

 

[teach1rusl]

You might try the wooden or ceramic eggs that wouldn't be so easy to kick out of the nests... and just keep trying. Hopefully eventually they will get it...

 

[Mahonri]

I have a coop and two pens.

Coop has 7 nest boxes.

Both pens have 3 nest boxes.

The girls in pen one will only lay in one box and they take turns getting in there.

In the other pen they will lay in two boxes, but never the middle one.

In the coop they lay in 3 of the 7 boxes and wait to take turns in the favored three.

Chickens are so unpredictable.

 

[Big C]

Lock them in the coop
Be sure that your nest boxes are darker than the surroundings

 

[newchicksnducks]

Not much help in telling you how to get yours to use the box. Out of 15 birds, I had one begin to lay about 4-5 weeks before the others. She would always lay on the floor of the coop. When the other birds began laying, they used the box from day one. By the second day of the new layers using the box, the first bird started with the nesting boxes too Must be a case of monkey see., monkey do

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Thanks, all!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have had some success teaching them to lay in the nesting boxes by locking them in the nesting box when I see them trying to lay on the floor of the coop. I scoop them up when I see them laying and lock them in the nesting box until they lay the egg, then I let them out. One time worked with one hen, but I had to do the other one twice before she got the message. It helps that I am home during the day and can check on them often. Maybe this weekend???

Good Luck!!!

 

[LynneP]

Some birds need low nest boxes, under 1 ft above the bedding, especially the heavier pullets/hens. Not sure if this is a factor for you. Also, pin pong balls are so light that they may play with them- golf balls maybe.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

I'll try that, thank you!

 

[startingaflock]

I put 2 golf balls in my nest box and of the first 4 eggs that I got 3 of them were in the nest box. Only once I had one of the golf balls kicked out of the box but I just put it back in and away they went.