Hi, my chickens are finally laying (first egg about a week ago i have 2 BR & 3 RIR), but all over the place. at first, found one in the run. then a couple in the coop. today one on the floor in coop, one broken on the floor and one up in the rafters where they roost. I put a cat litter box in the coop before they started laying with a couple of golf balls and hay in it. will they eventually get the idea? or is there something i can do to help them figure it out? do they not like the litter box or maybe where i have it? Thanks in advance for any advice! Gary
They may just not like the "nest" you provided. They like to feel safe and hidden and most of mine like the nest boxes that are a foot or two off of the floor. Lots of people use the covered cat boxes for nests with good results so maybe you could put a cover on yours? You can use almost anything for a nest box as long as it's placed in an area where they can feel safe. I'd add a second nest box as well so they have a choice and another option if the first ones in use.
We have a spacious coop with 4 roomy nest boxes 16" off the floor. Two of the girls (we have 7) were laying on the floor and we were having problems with broken eggs. I put a covered litter box under the nest boxes and they seem to like that- today I had 3 eggs in the "floor nest" and 4 in the boxes above.
my hens lay everywhere also but i just moved them into a new coop and have yet to build their nest boxes but at their old coop it took me waiting for them to lay 3 or 4 eggs randomly and then i put those in the nest box and voila my hens got the idea, till one went broody and beat the other hens up for coming near the nest boxes
I have had that problems also lately. I have five chickens and most of them have just started laying. I notice that a couple will lay in their nest boxes (usually fight over the same one-even though we have three. There are a couple that love to lay somewhere where there is high grass or weeds. One will do anything to get out of her pen when she wants to lay her egg. I even weedwacked where she was laying and she decided to come right up on my deck and lay her eggs in a little tub of flowers I have growing. I notice that once you let your chicks start to free range (watch out!!!) because when I do put them in their coop or pen and they dont want to be in it, well.... all I can say is the squawking starts and they are not happy!! Ever hear that saying- Give a chicken the yard - they want to move inside your house??? Well thats how its been here lately. And when their ready to lay their eggs its always such a commotion lately. They are too funny!!! Good luck with your chicks!
