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

[Carpenter Coop]

Mlejneks
I will check when I get back home
That is interesting
It's the bottom egg

 

[Carpenter Coop]

Just got home found another on the ground
First egg could have been from yesterday

Not chalky, looks and feels normal

Bottom two are grounders

 

[aart]

New layers often lay on the ground...or wherever they happen to be...until they get the hang of how things feel and where to go.

 

[Cluckies]

A couple of days before my first chicken started laying, I opened the nest boxes and put a golf ball in one of them for a day. Then I closed it back up thinking it would still be awhile. Then while I was in cleaning the henhouse one morning cluck-cluck came in and was making all kinds of racket and was agitated. I held her a couple of times, when I'd put her down she would start up again. Then she pecked at the board covering the nest box a couple of times. I took the board away and she settled right in and laid her egg about a half hour later. The other chickens followed suit when they began to lay, and have laid all of their eggs in the nest boxes, except for a few "rubber" eggs that were laid by a sick hen (she got better). I guess I was lucky with my chickens...

 

[Carpenter Coop]

I'm not too worried, just thought about the coincidence of reading it one night and then going home to it , lol

It's just like Easter

 

[nickel chick]

I have 3 hens that I got from my neighbor. He never had nesting boxes they just layed wherever so now I am trying to get them to use the boxes. But they seem to like the corner in the sand. I have put them in when a caught them getting ready to lay but then it is right back in the corner. I have tried straw, wood shavings, the rubber laying mats, curtains. I have run out of ideas. do I just give up or what. I don't want my younger ones to get this bad habit. Any ideas?

 

[aart]

I have 3 hens that I got from my neighbor. He never had nesting boxes they just layed wherever so now I am trying to get them to use the boxes. But they seem to like the corner in the sand. I have put them in when a caught them getting ready to lay but then it is right back in the corner. I have tried straw, wood shavings, the rubber laying mats, curtains. I have run out of ideas. do I just give up or what. I don't want my younger ones to get this bad habit. Any ideas?

How long have you had the chickens?
It can take some time for them to get used to a new space...and they don't like change so switching out bedding without time to get used to things may not help..

Are your nests easy to get up to and down from?
A pic would help.

Have you tried putting fake eggs and/or golf balls in the nests?
This shows them that 'this is a safe place to lay'.

 

[Ducklinggirl101]

So how is she doing now?

 

[nickel chick]

yes today they layed right in front of the nesting box. so I marked todays eggs left them in the box. so will see how tomorrow goes. these poor girls roosted in the rafters and when we went into the coop at night I had to step up at least a foot up on dried poop and the amoina smell was so bad I could hardly take a breath. They just layed where ever they wanted too. I am sure it will take time but I will keep at it. all good things come with time.

 

[nickel chick]

I have decided to stick with the rubber matts because they just kick everything out anyway so they will have to get used to the mats. I have had the big girls for2 months. and the nesting boxes are on the floor and 3 more on top. each box is 9inx12 high and 12 deep. They are white shevling like you see at Menards. still working on this.