Hens won't lay in the nest boxes

[Aleisha]

My hens all prefer to lay directly under their roosts. It's maddening as we have two beautiful clean nest boxes available. Any advice on getting the girls to use the nest boxes???

Thanks!!!

 

[CCourson05]

Put golf balls in the nest boxes... It teaches them where to lay. Lol. It worked after 1 day for me.

 

[DanEP]

Quote:
x2

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

My girls were very hesitant to use their boxes when they first started laying. They'd dig holes in the dirt. I don't know how they figured it out but they did eventually. It was the same with their roost. They did NOT want to climb their roost. They use it every single day now. The golf ball idea sounds like a winner. It can't hurt anything.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Can I put another egg in the next box to teach them?

 

[fried green eggs]

A solid plastic easter egg to give them the idea.

 

[edgroger]

Quote:
I second this idea

 

[Smittenroade]

They sell ceramic/plastic/glass fake eggs too. Make sure your nest boxes are nice, comfy and most noteably dark. And a rooster helps too, they will sometimes show the hens where to nest.

 

[Marion565]

One of my buffs started laying in the doghouse of all places, we caught her just after she had layed an egg. We took her and the egg and placed her in the henhouse in one of the layboxes.
Since then she lays in that same box everytime, I don't know if that was the reason but it worked for me.
One of my easter eggers started laying in the middle of the yard and later under the stairs in my barn, we did the same thing with her and now she lays in the nestboxes.
Like I said I don't know if that is the reason why they started laying in the boxes but it worked for me.