Hens fighting over 1 nesting box.

[katrinag]

I have 11 hens 5 which are laying. The rest will be laying any day. I have 5 nesting boxes and they all want to lay in 1.

Now here comes my problem 3 of them lay at about the same time. 2 take a little time to lay. They are beating each other up over the box. Sometimes it gets bloody with the pecking.

How can I encourge the others to use a different box. I have tried the golf ball trick, plastic eggs etc....

I am scared that when the others lay that they will also want to use the same box.

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

I would if you could get or move some of the nesting boxes to the other side or away from them that sometimes helps seperate the chickens.

 

[katrinag]

I have 6 more bucket that I can cut up and use. Do you think making boxes out of something different would help? Like dish pans?

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

It might help but try using the ones you have first.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I had the same problem with 7 hens wanting to use the same corner! I had 14 more hens that would be laying soon. Not knowing what to do, I left them alone hoping they would sort it out among themselves. I was lucky that they weren't mean to each other. They just waited til one was done. Finally, when the younger hens started laying (this was funny) I literally had hens lined up on the plank to go into the coop to lay in the same darn corner. You talk about bwauking!! It lasted for hours! Finally some of the hens could wait no longer and used another corner. So far they are working around each others schedule. lol

 

[katrinag]

that is so cool. i bet that was a site to see.

 

[Crest Acres Girl]

Oh this happend to me too! I just blocked off their fav nesting box lol. They got confused and just went to the nearest one

 

[katrinag]

Quote:
I never even thought of that.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Sounds like growing up in a 1-bathroom house!

 

[Featherland]

Sometimes I pick them up talk soothingly and place them in a different box. Sometimes it works and sometimes they don't want anything to do with it.