Help! Have one chicken laying on the floor!

[farmerbly]

I have one chicken laying on the floor of the coop. Not using the boxes. She is a little older than the other birds. All the others are using the boxes. Is there a way to teach them to use the boexs?
Thanks
BP

 

[aoxa]

How big is the girl laying on the floor? Is she able to jump in the nesting boxes? I find the heavier the birds (as well as crested) they need their boxes pretty much on the ground. Training them with fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting box is the way I get them to go in them. I have one hen that refuses to lay anywhere but the floor, so I just let her.

 

[farmerbly]

Yes she is able to get up in the boxes. She gets on the roost just fine. I have had golf balls in there for awhile. I do move them to different boxes from time to time. it's funny to see the birds lay only in the boxes where the golf balls are. Any ideas?

 

[aoxa]

Yes she is able to get up in the boxes. She gets on the roost just fine. I have had golf balls in there for awhile. I do move them to different boxes from time to time. it's funny to see the birds lay only in the boxes where the golf balls are. Any ideas?

Hmm.. Does she lay in the same place on the floor every time she lays? Could you perhaps put something to block that spot and force her to move her location?

 

[farmerbly]

yes it has been in the same place for the past three days. I use the DLM in my coop. She just builds her nest there everyday in the shavings. But I will try to put something in that spot and see what happens.
BP

 

[aoxa]

yes it has been in the same place for the past three days. I use the DLM in my coop. She just builds her nest there everyday in the shavings. But I will try to put something in that spot and see what happens.
BP

I put a wheel-barrel over my girl's spot, and she went around it and laid under the wheel-barrel. I gave up

Hopefully she gets it.

 

[DianaMallory]

yes it has been in the same place for the past three days. I use the DLM in my coop. She just builds her nest there everyday in the shavings. But I will try to put something in that spot and see what happens.
BP

What is DLM other than my initials? Maybe she doesn't want to share nesting boxes try setting a single nesting box in the spot were she is nesting at. I use sand in my coop and straw in my nesting boxes. But I do have one hen that keeps dropping eggs it looks like from the roost. She was doing it almost everyday and it finally stopped. Every once in awhile I will find an egg in the sand outside of the nesting box were I find the most eggs. I think they are waiting in line for the same box and that hen just can't hold it anymore! lol!

 

[aoxa]

What is DLM other than my initials? Maybe she doesn't want to share nesting boxes try setting a single nesting box in the spot were she is nesting at. I use sand in my coop and straw in my nesting boxes. But I do have one hen that keeps dropping eggs it looks like from the roost. She was doing it almost everyday and it finally stopped. Every once in awhile I will find an egg in the sand outside of the nesting box were I find the most eggs. I think they are waiting in line for the same box and that hen just can't hold it anymore! lol! 

DLM is Deep Litter Method

 

[DianaMallory]

DLM is Deep Litter Method

Thank you!