Help...training needed....

[JodyJo]

ok..ideas on training chickens to lay in boxes....I am not new to chickens, but this is an entire new flock, and aggravating me to death!

I have 4 at POL...one held her egg in for over 24 hours till I finally let them out of the run...I kept them in all day yesterday in hopes she would lay in the boxes...she didn't and within 30 sec of opening the run...she took off to under the tractor to lay her long held egg...may get two from her today.

The other 3 that are laying, just "pooped" them out into the poop tarp under the roost...didn't even try to lay them in the boxes! So...what other ideas do you have...I have golf balls in the boxes, (buckets really) a curtain over the front for 'privacy'...which I even pulled back so they could see the balls...kept them locked in for a good 40 hours....what else can I do!?

I had to throw out the poop covered eggs, they were disgusting...so eggs are being lost in this confusion...they are still pullet egg sized, but still....I have waited a long time for my own eggs again...any suggestions!?

 

[Judy]

It may just take some patience. They do a lot of strange things when they start laying, and usually settle down within a month or so.

If they laid the eggs from the roost, that is hopefully a "POL behavior" and will go away naturally -- I hope!

If you have the room, I would try offering a different type of nest or two. Just an open top cardboard box or plastic bin with a little hay or straw in it could be one. You could try a different type of litter. I don't really think one kind is better than another, but maybe they do....

 

[JodyJo]

It may just take some patience. They do a lot of strange things when they start laying, and usually settle down within a month or so.

If they laid the eggs from the roost, that is hopefully a "POL behavior" and will go away naturally -- I hope!

If you have the room, I would try offering a different type of nest or two. Just an open top cardboard box or plastic bin with a little hay or straw in it could be one. You could try a different type of litter. I don't really think one kind is better than another, but maybe they do....

hmm, I thought about putting some different boxes in there...and using straw instead of shavings...guess since it was advised by you...lol, I will give it a shot...tired of wasting those eggs....thanks!

 

[Judy]

I use shavings on the floor but hay in the nests, simply because they kick the shavings out. It could also be that they like making those bowls in the hay.

 

[krista74]

Great advice above, and I would also add that placing a few plastic or ceramic eggs into the nest boxes may help to give them the idea that the nest is the 'right' place to lay, when the time comes.

Good luck!

Krista

 

[JodyJo]

Great advice above, and I would also add that placing a few plastic or ceramic eggs into the nest boxes may help to give them the idea that the nest is the 'right' place to lay, when the time comes.

Good luck!

Krista

done, done and done...have been doing that...they are new to laying...but still, they should be able to figure it out soon...I added straw to a box, the shavings in the bucket don't fall out, there is a rim to hold them in...even put a curtain in front of the buckets for more added privacy,....guess I will keep watching and see what happens, maybe when some of the others start laying, they will copy...

 

[aart]

Sigh...it takes time, eggs all over the darn place!!!!...... until all of a sudden, all eggs in the nests.
I had one that didn't like the fake eggs, I took them out and viola! - egg in nest.
So I kept fake eggs in a couple nests and none in the others.
Silly chickens.


ETA....oh yeah, and one day cooped up isn't enough, got force her to drop that held egg in the coop, hopefully actually in a nest!

 

[JodyJo]

Alls ok now...these hens have just been buggers when it comes to nesting..I finally had to use Tidy Cat little buckets, on the floor, with tons of shavings, and a curtain...geez...but getting eggs daily now!