hen laying under roost...want to stop

[animal nut]

My 6 month old buff cochin is laying her eggs under the roost on the ground. There are other hens in the same coop that lay in the nest. How can I get her to use the nest? She make it very hard to retieve her eggs.

 

[andehens]

Theres a good reason in her mind to be laying under the roost.
Why does she feel safter there? Is it more hiden?
Do the other hens pick on her?
Are there not enough nest boxes?
Is she too heavy/large to fit comfortably in the next boxes?
Has she ever checked out the nest boxes and can she get to them easily?

You might try blocking her access to under the roost, but that wouldn't guarentee her using the boxes.

 

[digitS']

My last-to-lay pullet has just overcome this problem (& I'm sooo thankful

).

The 1st of the 4 pullets to lay at first just seemed to drop the egg anywhere. The nestbox was something new in the coop and kind of out-of-the-way since they have to climb a little ladder to reach it. Two new things and, I don't believe, any of the birds had really explored the nestbox before that 1st layer started "paying for room and board."

Pullet #1 was always the easiest bird for me to handle and I began to pick her up and put her in the nestbox 2 or 3 times each day. After a few days, I placed her on the ladder so she could practice climbing. Within less than a week, she was laying eggs in the nest.

I continued picking up birds and introducing them to the nestbox. Pullets #2 and #3 never layed an egg on the floor

. But, then along came "Miss Shy."

Two weeks later than the other birds and the one that never wanted to be touched. She began by making a nest and laying under the roost

. Each time, I'd retrieve the egg and mess up her nest. This happened about 4 times.

I did manage to catch her a few times without causing too much of a ruckus. And, she showed real interest in the nestbox after I set her in there. Once she stayed for at least 5 minutes. The next egg she layed was up there with the "big girls" and she's been consistent since.

You need to know that sometimes they will decide to find a new nest. The nestboxes should provide for their requirements of safety and, believe it or not, cleanliness. (Maybe "order" would be a better choice of words . . .

)

Steve

 

[animal nut]

Maybe she feel the nestin box is uncomfortable. Although she is really not larger than my other hens, she may feel cramped in the boxes. I think I will maker her a box that is lower and larger than the others. Then I will start to set her in the box. Thanks for the info.