Hen doesn't play by the rules.

[AwlOrganikLizz]

So I got my first eggs. Only one chicken laying at the moment. Yay finally! But..... she's hopping up on the feeder and plopping them down into the feeder rather than using the nest boxes. They have fluffy and clean straw in them, I don't know why she favors the feeder! Any tips??

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Not really a big deal - new layers often go through a period of some seemingly confused laying where eggs are deposited in some odd places.
Do you have any "bait" in the nests boxes (fake eggs, golf balls, etc)? Are the nests inviting to a hen looking for a place to lay (a photo of the setup can help with this assessment)?

 

[AwlOrganikLizz]

I will try to post a picture in a moment! Now that I've seen the chickens actually inside the nest boxes though, their boxes seem rather large. Could the boxes be too big? I see pictures of others and they're much smaller. I mean, my ducks can sit comfortably in them.

 

[AwlOrganikLizz]

Also I don't have anything in the boxes. I've seen the fake eggs but didn't know their purpose! Does it really make a difference? Would that help her out? lol

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Also I don't have anything in the boxes. I've seen the fake eggs but didn't know their purpose! Does it really make a difference? Would that help her out? lol

The presence of a bait item tells the bird, "Lay here - this is a safe place because someone else has already used it" - and, yes, can make a difference. This is why with multiple boxes you will often find all (or at least most) of your eggs in one box and the rest going unused....because once one lays in the box it lures the rest to use that box

 

[AwlOrganikLizz]

Cool, thanks! I'll pick some up when I go get feed tomorrow.