Hen laying on poop board!

[ElysianChick]

My black copper maran hen refuses to use the nesting boxes. She insists on laying on the poop board under the roosts.The poop board is covered in PDZ. She settles in the corner and lays there. I clean every day, so it's not terribly dirty, but still....Gross! I have 10 layers and 3 nesting boxes. All of my other hens will use the nesting boxes. Any idea why picky Holly would prefer the poop board to the nice nesting box??

 

[Isaac 0]

You could try blocking the poop board off with wire of some sort.You can also put Golf balls in the nesting box at all times to encourage her

 

[azygous]

You don't mention her age. This is not uncommon with new layers. They tend to lay everywhere but where they're supposed to. Fake eggs can't hurt. It sometimes gives them the hint they need. I always use wooden eggs, available at feed stores, with new layers.

When I have pullets reaching point of lay, I carefully monitor their behavior. When they go into the coop and begin exploring places to lay, I steer them to the nest when I see them thinking about settling in on the floor next to the nest box, for example.

If I see they've already chosen an unacceptable spot, I gently move them to a nest box. It can be a battle of wills for a couple days, but if you're consistent about moving your hen to the nest box when your see her on the poop board, she will eventually "get it".

 

[ElysianChick]

Holly has been laying about a month. She laid her first egg in the box and hasn't laid in there since. I do have wooden eggs in the boxes. I'm wondering if maybe she prefers a higher spot since the poop board is about 2 feet off the floor. Maybe she is a weird one who doesn't actually like the closed in feel of the nesting boxes? A chicken with claustrophobia?

I've redirected her several times. She runs right out of the box and straight back to the poop board. I guess my next option is to threaten her with becoming chicken n dumplings. That seems to work with the rest of my hens sometimes.

 

[carlf]

Holly has been laying about a month. She laid her first egg in the box and hasn't laid in there since. I do have wooden eggs in the boxes. I'm wondering if maybe she prefers a higher spot since the poop board is about 2 feet off the floor. Maybe she is a weird one who doesn't actually like the closed in feel of the nesting boxes?

Might try an elevated open top next box nailed into one corner of the coop. Cant hurt if you have the room.

 

[ElysianChick]

I do have room. I'll give the open box a shot and see how it works. She's the only one of my hens being picky. Drives me nuts!

 

[Spartan22]

I have a black sex link that refuses to lay in the nests, ( I got 12 nesting boxes of different heights and different type) she just love using the corner of the coop on the floor. She's been laying since August 2016 all other 17+ layers uses the nests, go figure.

 

[ElysianChick]

I'd be OK (maybe) if Holly would lay on the floor. But the poop board? Really? Somehow I have failed to convey the idea of cleanliness. *sigh* I feel like a chicken parent failure.

 

[Noisy Chicken]

My concern exactly, (learning the hard way)….too many treats! I thought I was being nice. First I found soft and then cracked eggs. Someone is laying on the poop board now and eating the yolk. Everyone else lays in one box.