Help me help my chickens lay in a box!

[Tracie33]

Hi I need help getting my chickens to lay in a box! We have a sapphire gem that has been laying since November 7th. Plus at least one other brown egger, either our ISA brown or buff Orpington, that is also laying. We also have two Easter eggers. One EE is laying and she is a Rockstar and is laying in our Little Giant nesting box (about a foot off the ground). There has never been a brown egg in the nesting box and it is getting to be where I have to literally dig around in shavings if I want to find an egg.

We have blocked off the original favorite laying spot. We have added a nesting egg to the Little Giant box. We have added a 10.5" deep (and 12" around all sides) milk crate, I have tried a rubbermaid storage bin. All with nice fresh shavings. But only the EE will lay in a box! I'm getting tired of these egg hunts. I just added another ceramic egg to the milk crate that is up on two bricks, maybe that will work??

Any other ideas are welcome!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I made a couple of my nests so I can lock a hen in them. The way I handle a hen that makes a nest somewhere I'm not happy with is to wait until I can catch her on that other nest laying and lock her in the real nest until she lays, usually a half hour but it can be longer. Sometimes locking her up involves catching her with a fishing net. Usually I only have to do that once and she realizes that the real nest is a safer place to lay. If she tries to lay in that other spot a monster with a net may GET her. That is scary!!!

Seriously it does work for me.

 

[aart]

Might need a second nest.

 

[Tracie33]

I made a couple of my nests so I can lock a hen in them. The way I handle a hen that makes a nest somewhere I'm not happy with is to wait until I can catch her on that other nest laying and lock her in the real nest until she lays, usually a half hour but it can be longer. Sometimes locking her up involves catching her with a fishing net. Usually I only have to do that once and she realizes that the real nest is a safer place to lay. If she tries to lay in that other spot a monster with a net may GET her. That is scary!!!

Seriously it does work for me.

Oh boy I guess it's good to have all the ideas! The one in serious question is the one for us that would require the net too thank you for the advice! Gotta prepare for a stake out.