Help! first eggs not in nest box

[mother_hen6]

Three of my six just started laying but the eggs are everywhere but the nest boxes. How do I get them to lay in the boxes? Also here are a few images from my site.

 

[chicmom]

It's you and that beautiful coop again! Hello! Try putting some ceramic eggs, or golf balls in the nesting boxes. That sometimes helps them get the idea.

 

[Bill D]

I used golf balls - worked pretty well - they got the hint! I get some in the coop here and there - seems like they wait til the last minute and just can't make it to the nesting box!

 

[carrlr]

I use golfballs. I've heard folks use glass or hardboiled eggs before, but I wouldn't want to try hardboiled. Out of 4 nest boxes mine only use one. Go figure. They sometimes kick the golfball out, so I just put it back in. They're pretty consistant now, but I still have a few that haven't started laying yet. So, I plan to keep using the golfball until all are laying in the appropriate location.

 

[Shaun]

I use - nothing. I find the little darlings are sometimes taken unawares for the first week or two.

I find eggs everywhere! They soon get the idea and will lay in the boxes. Really. In 25 years I've never had anyone not go in the boxes after a week or two.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sometimes it takes a while for them to get the clue about the boxes. All it will take is one of them laying in the nestbox, and all of them will follow.

 

[foxchasr]

The same thing happened to me a few months ago. I was wondering why there was nothing in the their usual spot and was shocked to venture out into the woods and find a nest where there were probably 16 eggs. What I did was I got one of the eggs from where they were laying in the woods, marked it with a marker so I knew that one was the "dummy" and put it in their nesting area in the coop. Sure enough, they started laying again in the nesting boxes. Good luck to you.

 

[JFW]

Mine are about 12 weeks old. I just wish they would stop roosting and pooping in the nest boxes. I have 25 and about 1/2 to 2/3 of them roost in the boxes. I have plenty of roost boards about 2 to 3 feet higher than the perch boards infront of the next boxes; but no... they want to roost/poop in the nest boxes. Any ideas? Will they grow out of this as they get older???

 

[theCandEs]

We put plastic Easter eggs in the nest boxes. You should have seen them looking at them! So funny! They got the idea, though. I only have one that likes to lay hers on top of the pen. I don't know why. She is set in her ways now, though.

 

[mother_hen6]

Quote:
Thanks that is encouraging.