Haunted Nest??

[aghiowa]

Hi all! I've got 5 laying hens, 5 chicks (hatched by a broody). I have 2 nest boxes, both of which were being used equally until the broody decided that was her nest. She sat her 3 weeks in it, hatched in there, and now, no one will touch it. I've cleaned it out, put in new nesting material, tried moving it around the coop, but nope. Even my Mama hen won't lay in there now, and prefers making her own hollow in the corner of the coop. Is this common? What's up?

Thanks,
Angela

 

[nanawendy]

Try putting an wooden egg in there or yesterdays eggs. They might need some encouragement

 

[jjdward]

If I have learned anything in my three short years of chicken farming, its that chickens are some of the most unpredictable beings I have ever been around!!!!! lol Before I got a single chick, I read all kinds of books and articles (of course I didn't fine BYC until much later! lol) and I set my coop up just like the books said. Well apparently the chickens didn't read the books because they did just what they wanted!!!!!!!

I moved my nest boxes to the other wall of my coop about 2 weeks ago and I have a hen that will walk up in to the nest box, go in each nest, jump down and go to the wall where the nest box was and lay on the ground. Go figure!!!!

I guess my advice would be to try the wooden eggs or golf balls in the nest and see if that helps. Also try to make the spot where she lays now harder for her to get to and less desirable. Maybe put something in that corner, like a small pile of rocks or something like that. Who knows, maybe she will change her mind!!! lol Good luck!!!!

 

[geepy]

I built two new laying boxes and at first all the girls laid eggs in both, now they only lay in the one facing east and scratch all the hay out of the ones facing west. I, for the life of me, can't figure out the problem.

 

[sourland]

Surely sounds haunted to me.