Hens won't use rollaway nest box--how much straw can I add?

[kittydoc]

Hubby built a nice four-across rollaway nest box unit. Only about 1/4 to 1/3 of our eggs are now being laid in it. We have two regular nest boxes elsewhere in the coop (not in the henhouse), and those are now getting very heavy use, plus about one hen a day lays an egg on the floor of the coop. Some birds are sleeping in the nice new nest boxes because there is poop in them (which I keep throwing out).

We used regular indoor/outdoor Astroturf-like green carpet to cover ours. The drop is 2" over 12", with a 4" flat landing pad in the back. The eggs that are laid seem to be rolling fine, with no breakage.

My question is how much straw can we put in these without wrecking the rollaway benefit? Right now, there are just a few stray pieces. I was thinking about maybe trying just one layer of straw thick, so it's still flat enough and they can't built up a real nest.

I'd love suggestions. This unit was a bear to get into our henhouse. (I had envisioned him making two 2-nest units that would have been a little easier to install and maintain.) We had to push it over the top of the roosts, then pull it down with hubby deep in the back of the henhouse. The back of the rollaway unit is not attached to the adjacent wall (it's heavy enough to stay put by itself), and our egg door is built into the exterior wall itself separately. We have great access to the eggs that roll down, but we have to get the girls to use it. It's been several days, but no more than a few eggs have been laid in them daily. They are nice and big because we have Orpingtons and plan to get some even bigger British Orpingtons, so they are spacious (about 13-14" square in front, and 12" deep).

Suggestions greatly appreciated. We really like getting the clean eggs from these, plus is is helping to thwart our unidentified egg eater!

 

[chfite]

I don't know much about rollaway nests, but it seems that the 2" slope over 12" is a bit much. It may be that the hens don't feel comfortable on such a slope. Hens use what they like. If they prefer the other nests, you might have to remove them to keep them in the sloped ones.

I would just add some straw until it is too much, then use a bit less.

Chris

 

[aart]

Close off the other nests so they can't use them.

Take the birds out of the nests and night and put them on the roosts to break that habit...might take a week or more to 'train' them.

Maybe put just a bit of bedding in the roll away nests until they are all using them, then slowly reduce the amount of bedding.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new. Feed bags are a nylon mesh bag frozen poop just peels off in below freezing temperatures and just flakes off in summer when left out in the sun to bake and dry.



POOP BOARDS are the "BEST" addition yet. Handles well over ½ of the poop in my set up keeps ammonia smell in check 3½" below roost excellent for catching eggs laid through the night (roost are in cups for easier removal and cleaning). I recently friction fit a piece of vinyl flooring over my poop board.it makes clean up even easier; Pop out; Scrap; Hose; Pop in.

Winter months even easier flex over compost bin DONE!

Easy peasy!.

 

[kittydoc]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think we will try closing off the two "regular" nest boxes being used the most, add a little straw to the new rollaway nest boxes, and see what happens. One more slept in one (apparently) and pooped in it, but the good news is that the firm poop rolls away, too!

2" over 12" was the recommended drop I saw in two different (and detailed) designs for rollaway boxes. If you don't have much drop, they won't roll. I suspect they miss the straw, but that's just a hunch. We've been getting 5 eggs (our of 15-18 right now) in the rollaways, so at least some of the hens and pullets don't mind them. I'll let you know what happens when I close off the regular nests (I am sure they will be unhappy, and some will lay on the ground or floor of the henhouse, but I expect that.)