Hens won't use nesting boxes

[ctina0815]

Hi there-
I have six pullets, about 4 months old, and two of them have just started laying in the past couple of days. Here's my problem-they are laying in the corner of the coop instead of the beautiful nesting boxes I made for them! I have had ceramic eggs in there for a couple of weeks with no luck. I am wondering what else I can do to encourage them. There is also a dropping board just a little above the nesting box entrance so I am wondering if I should remove it? Any other suggestions welcome!

 

[ngennetta]

I have a few girls that refuse to use the nesting box, no matter how hard I try to explain it to them. Is it easy for them to get into the boxes? If they are elevated, is there a perch for them to jump onto in the front of the box? I the dropping board might be preventing them from getting in easily. Can you send a photo?

 

[Dayrel]

My three hens just started laying 6 days ago. Three out of the first four were outside of the nesting boxes (I'm using ceramic eggs). The other three have been deposited nicely into the nesting boxes.

I think that they just are learning what is going on with their bodies and the first one or two are deposited wherever because they don't know any better. Based on my recent experience, they should quickly learn where to lay.

 

[Chaerie]

My hens refused to use my layer boxes until one of them got broody and took up the nest they made in the bushes. I was so stoked when they started laying in the box then! We got a couple eggs in the middle of the pen after that, which I put in the box, and after I broke the broody now I get all my eggs in the box

 

[Pastors Chicks]

As I mentioned in my intro, we have 18 older hens (3-4 years) that have started eating their eggs. I tried putting ceramic eggs in the boxes, golf balls, and even built a roll-a-way bed for them (picture attached), but it didn't stop, they just stopped laying them in the boxes and then would eat them. It is so bad now we typically only get about 2-4 eggs a day and that is with checking them multiple times a morning.

So, we are getting rid of all the old girls and have bought a batch of new ones. 15 white Leghorns and 10 brown Leghorns. Just this week we have started getting a few new eggs! However, only one has been in the boxes, the rest are in the coop on the floor and I found two up on the butchering table in a crate, lol.

Didn't have this issue with the previous two batches we've had. Any tips are welcomed.

 

[K.Riggs]

I had to move my nest boxes lower and put them in a corner as private as possible. They didn't like them hanging on an exposed side wall of the coop. Now they all use them. I just observed their laying behavior and modified accordingly putting the boxes where I thought they were most likely to use them. The same technique worked for my goose, I observed where she was laying then kept modifying the set up trying to figure out what about the shelter was bothering her now she is finally sitting full time on her nest in the shelter.