Hens all using 1 nest box.

[Mr Clean Kansas]

Really?! Never in 45 years!?
Put fake eggs in the other nests.

I have had multiple hens use the same nest, but never had every hen in the coop stand in line to use 1 out of 6 boxes.

 

[Mr Clean Kansas]

hens can be finicky is all I can say, are they all made the same way, with same amount and kind of bedding , I assume so but never know I had a friend and each one she did different lol.

All six boxes the same size and nesting material. Previous generations of hens used all the boxes

 

[Mr Clean Kansas]

Not uncommon at all to find three or four hens piled in the same box here with a couple more waiting outside.
The only time there is only one bird is when the rooster is exploring his girly side, man needs his solitude.

There is never more than one at a time in the box. They just all take turn. Their parents and other generations have always used different boxes.

 

[Mr Clean Kansas]

The most I've had at once were 5 Wyandottes, they never waited ... All 5 could be found in the "nest box". I had 2 but everyone wanted this one .... Have had 4 BO in it at once, they had 2 but all wanted this one ... Both times I gave up and removed the 2nd.

View attachment 1895623 View attachment 1895625

My boxes are small. Only one at a time goes in. It does get loud as the hens waiting seem to be yelling at whoever is in the box to hurry up.

 

[21_chickens]

I have 10 hens and 2 roosters in a 5 x 10 chicken coop. All 10 hens lay eggs only in 1 nest box. Every morning I let the girls out and they all go out to scratch around except 1 hen that goes to this nest box. Throughout the morning. The hens all take turns using this same box. They kind of hang around the coop door until it is their turn. After they have laid their egg, they are off to scratch and free range. By early afternoon there are 6 to 9 eggs all in the same box. There are 6 black copper marans, 3 speckled Sussex and 1 olive egger. The 2 roos are black copper marans. I have raised chickens for 45 years and never witnessed this type of behavior. Anyone else experienced this or have any ideas.

I’ve read that sometimes when chickens see an egg in a certain nesting box they lay theirs in there to because they realize it’s a safe spot. Try putting some fake eggs in your other nesting boxes and see how that works

 

[cmom]

Really?! Never in 45 years!?
Put fake eggs in the other nests.

I was wondering about that too. I had my first flock around 50 years ago. I have had some that have shared certain nest boxes and some wait for a turn for a certain nest box. Some of the girls that wait in line also like to be cheerleaders for the one in the certain nest box. All birds are different and so are the different flocks. I do have golf balls in the nest boxes. I think it helps the pullets to lay in the nest boxes instead of on the floor of the coop or out on the ground.

 

[Chickassan]

These did wait until last year when the new pullets started laying then patience went out the window when it came to the favorite nest.

There is never more than one at a time in the box. They just all take turn. Their parents and other generations have always used different boxes.

 

[333113]

I think the perception of safety is the biggest reason for groups laying in a single box. When l have a rooster in the group of hens, one of his jobs seems to be scouting out safe places for egglaying. He actually goes into any new nest box and scratches around, turns around a couple of times, then starts calling to the hens, sometimes before he is back out of the box.

Putting a fake egg in a box is a good way to announce to the hens that the nest is safe. Some hens don't fall for the fake egg, and so I will sometimes sacrifice a live egg per box to get them to spread out the laying. It didn't work for me in this case, since the rooster was convinced that the footstool was the best place. (I guess I can see the logic--"See, it didn't break even when the feeder was standing on it, and she's bigger than me!")

I’ve read that sometimes when chickens see an egg in a certain nesting box they lay theirs in there to because they realize it’s a safe spot. Try putting some fake eggs in your other nesting boxes and see how that works

 

[cluckcluckhens]

It happens all the time here. I had three girls earlier this year and two were in the same box, the other one in front of box waiting her turn with one of the girls went broody. We had three girls with three boxes with fake eggs in the boxes. They will lay where they want to. They will lay in the middle of the floor or up on their laying boards.

 

[aart]

I have had multiple hens use the same nest, but never had every hen in the coop stand in line to use 1 out of 6 boxes.

Ah, I see.
A special group of birds for sure!