How can I convince my ladies to use their nesting box?

[hennible]

I just added curtains to my nest boxes it has helped a lot... Now only three of 20 odd hens lay in the poop tray.

 

[Zoom Zoom]

Kluk-kluk. I am happy to report that Maggie recovered from her surgery. I had to keep her in the house longer than necessary because temps dropped drastically from the day I brought her inside. Returned her to the flock last Saturday and she laid an egg Wednesday. Now she wants to come in the house every time I open the door - lol

 

[aart]

Kluk-kluk. I am happy to report that Maggie recovered from her surgery. I had to keep her in the house longer than necessary because temps dropped drastically from the day I brought her inside. Returned her to the flock last Saturday and she laid an egg Wednesday. Now she wants to come in the house every time I open the door - lol

Surgery?

 

[Woodstock69]

I had a simalur issue they was laying around the yard when I let them out and I read about putting a golf ball in each laying box. It worked now all six chickens are laying in the box for a while now even after I removed the golf balls.

 

[ladyearth]

all my chickens are less than 1 year old.....
my last hen started laying back in early December..... she chose the "pet carrier" a very large deluxe one ... I had bought used ....to set up in their RUN to use as another shelter... for all 3 hens plus ROO ROO to huddle in .. I even insulated it and mistakenly added fresh pine shavings, should have just put cardboard at bottom and flat newspaper.......
this was set in a wire kennel then up on a pallet and then covered with vinyl siding. pieces .... so that rain was kept out etc..........
well DANG, she made it HER nest box.....the big pet CARRIER in the run.....
instead of the real 2 nest boxes at back of coop.....that the other two use......
I have never seen the other two hens in the two nest boxes at same time.....
dang it...."..Baby Girl " doesNOT even lay eggs anymore just whines in box... I guess she is just sterile or has internal problems
so techically only one egg in two nest boxes..... I even tried fake eggs and golf balls...
Several times during the fall. the middle hen attempted to go in the unoccupied box but" Baby Girl "" either carried on or chased her out.... She is the dominant hen... I call her also "mean Girl" my" Baby Girl"
I keep telling Roo Roo ,"why you let her be a mean girl?" he just looks at me....
If I am around I put my finger on her nose...... Maybe because he and Baby Girl were my 5 day old Babies...from a straight run of 6 Barr Rockers.....
the other two hens I obtained when they were about ready to start laying...., wish I could have gotten 2 more than, so Roo Roo would be more entertained....more chickens to spoil....
ah well
thanks yall

 

[Gilmore768]

I have 4 5mo.old orpingtons. Hoping they will start laying soon. I keep them in the run most of the time but let them free range when I'm home on weekends. Hope they don't decide to start laying while out somewhere in the yard.
Zoom Zoom i have an aunt and uncle who live south of Rolla on hwy 72. Small world.

 

[Carpenter Coop]

I have five boxes for 15 chickens
They rotate, they share, they sit in one for Awhile, then go lay in the other. Lol

I'm just glad they're laying.

 

[mlejneks]

Zoom Zoom - I had the same problem as you when my hens first started laying. I only have four hens. Two hens used the nest box, while one nested near the nest box, and the other would lay her egg on the poop board. I was frustrated and unsure what to do. I'm happy to report they all eventually figured it out and used the nest box consistently. My hens seem to like straw best in the nest box, and I do place a fake egg at times. I lost two hens this winter. I have placed an order for some replacement chicks, so now I wonder how the integration will be this summer, and if the new chicks will learn from the old how to use the nest box, and other things. We'll see.

 

[Carpenter Coop]

Way to go and jinx me
I came home and found an egg on the ground outside the nest and hen house out in the run. Lol

 

[mlejneks]

Carpenter Coop - just wondering if the egg outside the nest on the ground had a different shell texture to it? Each time I have had this experience, the shell was kind of chalky and somewhat whitish in color for a brown egg. For me, its as if the chickens know they have a "different" egg in them, and they purposely lay it somewhere on the ground. I've seen it happened a handful of times, each time the same shell difference.