Help me solve this mystery.

i am going to bump this ... i would like to see the answer too

 

Try placing golf balls or fake eggs or marked store bought eggs in your nesting boxes for a few days to show them where they are supposed to be laying. They may get the idea...or they may not. Silly chickens.

 

LMAO at the cue ball sound!

 

I have actually always used the plastic easter eggs. I buy a couple bags during easter and use them during the year. I caught one broody hatching one a couple weeks ago, felt sorry for her and gave her some eggs. Also, I wonder if your boxes are allowing someone else to push the eggs out. I use cat litter boxes, which have side high enough that they can't roll them out.

On a side note, yes, I think the girls are enjoying making you crawl around on the floor for the egg hunt.

 

I find eggs once in a while on the floor. I have 8 nest boxes. I think that they have favorite boxes and if someone is in their box they lay on the floor. There will be eggs in three of the eight and then an egg on the floor. Not a weekly occurance maybe once a month I get a egg or two on the floor. I can't tell you how many times I have gone in my coop and there are 6 empty boxes and two hens in one nest and one hen in another nest and one screaming bloody murder because there is someone in her nest. Oh and they seem to change their favorite nest once in a while.

 

Ours were really good about using nesting boxes then one day decided to start using a wine barrel that we made into a cooler (use frozen ice blocks inside to cool the air). That went on for about a week, then back to the nests. I have found one hen standing on top of another trying to get her turn in the same nest even though there are 3 more available. I even had one laying eggs in her sleep! You just gotta love them!

Edited to add: some chickens are better mommies then others. You can look at Murray Mc Murray catalog by breed and they usually say if the breed is a good or bad brooder.