Hens not laying in nest boxes.

[biga]

my chickens have been laying in the nest boxes since day 1. well, the last few days i've gone to get eggs and there are none in the laying boxes. i have been assuming my kids were getting them and i didn't think anything about it. then last night i went to put more water in the bucket inside the coop and down in the corner of the coop was a DOZEN EGGS! why would they just quit using the nest boxes all of the sudden? i think it could be that one of my new hens stared laying this week and she just dropped one on the floor. and maybe the other girls saw that egg and just started piling them up. i put an egg in each of the laying boxes to see if that will get them to go back in there.

 

[subhanalah]

I think someone wants to go broody

 

[aart]

my chickens have been laying in the nest boxes since day 1. well, the last few days i've gone to get eggs and there are none in the laying boxes. i have been assuming my kids were getting them and i didn't think anything about it. then last night i went to put more water in the bucket inside the coop and down in the corner of the coop was a DOZEN EGGS! why would they just quit using the nest boxes all of the sudden? i think it could be that one of my new hens stared laying this week and she just dropped one on the floor. and maybe the other girls saw that egg and just started piling them up. i put an egg in each of the laying boxes to see if that will get them to go back in there.

I think you're correct!!

......and your solution should do the trick. Might have to put something, like a crate or block or covered bucket with sand for weight, in that place they laid if they don't get the message.

 

[Joshua G]

Update: All the hens are now laying in the nest boxes!
Thanks for your help and suggestions.

 

[biga]

ugh... went out of town for a week for a funeral. came back and NO EGGS in the coop floor. most were in the laying boxes. but some stupid chicken dropped 3 out in the middle of the run! oh well, they'll get it together sooner or later

 

[CoopyLoopy]

What did you do to get them laying in the boxes?

 

[Joshua G]

When I would check on them, they would be trying to lay under the nests. I would put them in the nests when I found one trying to lay, and after a few tries, they all got the idea.

 

[CoopyLoopy]

Thanks!

 

[FarmerJonny]

Thank you for this thread, my 20 week old Golden Comets started laying 2 weeks ago, but on the floor in the hay they kicked out of the nesting boxes. I would put hay in there every day and kept increasing the height of the front lip on the boxes and they still dropped them on that spot on the floor.

Finally I decided to put a milk crate in that spot and the next day I noticed they just built another nest next to it....but closer to their boxes. Two days and 2 more milk crates later with no more room on the floor between the crates and their nesting boxes I opened the back door on the boxes and there were 4 beautiful eggs sitting right where they were supposed to be.

They still wont keep hay in there....choosing to lay them on the bare wood, I was thinking of covering the hay with netting to stop them as I think if I increase the height of the front lip any more it might make it difficult for them to get in and out. My usual thought though is that its their house....as long as its easy for me to gather eggs and keep it clean they can decorate and rearrange it to suit themselves. I'm glad I read what everyone had to say and used some patience and ingenuity.

 

[subhanalah]

   Thank you for this thread, my 20 week old Golden Comets started laying 2 weeks ago, but on the floor in the hay they kicked out of the nesting boxes. I would put hay in there every day and kept increasing the height of the front lip on the boxes and they still dropped them on that spot on the floor.

   Finally I decided to put a milk crate in that spot and the next day I noticed they just built another nest next to it....but closer to their boxes. Two days and 2 more milk crates later with no more room on the floor between the crates and their nesting boxes I opened the back door on the boxes and there were 4 beautiful eggs sitting right where they were supposed to be.

  They still wont keep hay in there....choosing to lay them on the bare wood, I was thinking of covering the hay with netting to stop them as I think if I increase the height of the front lip any more it might make it difficult for them to get in and out. My usual thought though is that its their house....as long as its easy for me to gather eggs and keep it clean they can decorate and rearrange it to suit themselves. I'm glad I read what everyone had to say and used some patience and ingenuity.

I had to abandon the cheap straw and use shavings in the nesting boxes.

The reason you want them to lay in a soft nest is to protect them from breaking, getting pooped on, or being eaten my nosy neighbors lol.

My eggs are much cleaner and less porous when I use shavings vs. letting them lay on a hard surface.