Ground to Nest

[HenMaster]

I have a small urban flock, 5, three lay in the nest and two lay on the ground behind the AC unit. How do I incourage the two that lay on the ground to lay in the nest?

 

[Pinky]

Put some fake eggs in their nest box. When they see them they should get the idea.

 

[HenMaster]

Quote:
We have golf balls in the nest, will that work?

 

[FiveHens]

Yes, it should...do you have enough nests and are they adequately cozy and private such as would be more appealing than behind the AC unit?

 

[Pinky]

Quote:
We have golf balls in the nest, will that work?

They should work like FiveHens said. Are your boxes dark? Oh, and how many nests do you have?

 

[HenMaster]

Quote:
Yes, we built 4 nest box, see pic. and there are nest all over the yard and in the coop.

 

[Jferlisi]

You could also lock them in the coop for a few days if you want them to lay ing the nesting boxes in the coop.

 

[galanie]

Henmaster, those nest boxes look great but they're out in the open. Each box is enclosed other than the whole side that's open to the sky, but it's kind of like sitting on the toilet with the bathroom door open. Many of us wouldn't care but most girls want privacy. The coop is wide open too from what I can see in the pic. It appears that being behind the AC unit is the only place that feels private they can get to. I'm betting that's the problem.

Wherever they can go to get shelter from a bad storm would be the place to put a nest box. Some place not open to the whole yard and sky. I have 3-4 nest boxes in various places in my coop and mine like the one in the darkest corner.

 

[booker81]

Quote:
x2

Thing of a good "hiding place" that you can access easily, but is still a nice hidey hole.

Or put the boxes behind the AC unit

 

[elmo]

I agree with the other posters about "privacy." It's really more of the hen feeling like the nest would be a good, safe place to potentially brood and hatch her chicks. She's vulnerable to predators sitting on the nest all that time. Something as simple as turning the nestbox unit you have backwards so that it faces the wall with enough space so you can walk back there to get eggs, might help.

To get your two hens to give up laying behind the air conditioner, you're probably going to need to block it off from their access, at least temporarily, until they get into the habit of laying where you want them to.

The other thing you might try is switching the bedding to pine shavings. Several of mine wouldn't lay in boxes that had aspen shavings. Go figure.