Hens not laying in nesting boxes

[jnicholes]

So, my chickens are not laying in the nesting box. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. Despite all my encouragement, they are going up in the nesting box, but not laying there.

Can someone please help me out?

Here is my data:

13 hens, three are laying, which are one austra white and 2 golden sex links.

Ceramic egg and 2 golf balls in nesting box.

Chickens are laying in a corner of the coop.

I had my very first egg in the nesting box, but now they decided to lay somewhere else.

If you need pictures, I will get them.

 

[bill3607]

You know you are going to get asked for pictures of your setup.

Without seeing any pictures I will just say they will probably eventually lay in there unless you just have something they totally hate such as being too high, or not big enough. Apparently, they are young since you said 3 of 13 laying. They will get going as they catch on and more start laying.

Mine change up a lot. They may all lay in a certain box, then, they move it to a different one, or lay in 2 or 3 different ones, sometimes in all of them. I can't even remember how many boxes I have, I think 5 or 6. There has been a couple of times they decided to all lay in a corner of the coop for awhile. One time they decided to start laying out in the run for a short time.

 

[jnicholes]

You know you are going to get asked for pictures of your setup.

Without seeing any pictures I will just say they will probably eventually lay in there unless you just have something they totally hate such as being too high, or not big enough. Apparently, they are young since you said 3 of 13 laying. They will get going as they catch on and more start laying.

Mine change up a lot. They may all lay in a certain box, then, they move it to a different one, or lay in 2 or 3 different ones, sometimes in all of them. I can't even remember how many boxes I have, I think 5 or 6. There has been a couple of times they decided to all lay in a corner of the coop for awhile. One time they decided to start laying out in the run for a short time.

Hang on, I’ll get pictures now.

 

[jnicholes]

I would like to apologize, I didn’t get pictures because I was being lazy when I posted.

Here are the pictures. First off, you need to know the coop is still under construction. I need to paint it, and do some other finishing touches.

 

[Debbie292d]

Are they all newer layers? Mine'll do that the first couple of times, and it's probably because they don't know what they're doing. This egg thing just starts coming and they plop it where they are.

I'd put a paver or upside down 5-gallon bucket on top of where they are laying. If they continue somewhere else, keep doing that, they'll get the hint.

 

[jnicholes]

Are they all newer layers? Mine'll do that the first couple of times, and it's probably because they don't know what they're doing. This egg thing just starts coming and they plop it where they are.

I'd put a paver or upside down 5-gallon bucket on top of where they are laying. If they continue somewhere else, keep doing that, they'll get the hint.

The three I mentioned are new layers.

 

[Debbie292d]

The three I mentioned are new layers.

That's it then! Give it a few days.

After I saw your nest box, I thought maybe putting half walls in for one or two smaller boxes might help as some like to just be private.

 

[jnicholes]

That's it then! Give it a few days.

After I saw your nest box, I thought maybe putting half walls in for one or two smaller boxes might help as some like to just be private.

Like I said, the coop is still under construction. I can definitely add those. Thanks a bunch.

 

[bill3607]

Like I said, the coop is still under construction. I can definitely add those. Thanks a bunch.

And, a little more bedding material. If you open it up on the front and then section it off to make more individual boxes. Then, put you something across the front bottom of the boxes like an inch or two high to keep them from throwing all the bedding out.

 

[Debbie292d]

And, a little more bedding material. If you open it up on the front and then section it off to make more individual boxes. Then, put you something across the front bottom of the boxes like an inch or two high to keep them from throwing all the bedding out.

...and eggs. I just had that happen. Over the top of a 2" rail down 2.5 feet and it didn't break! It had a chick a day away from hatching in it. I took it and incubated it. It hatched the next day.