How do I get my chickens to nest in the nesting boxes?

[BigBlueHen53]

Your hen is 7 years old. I would put a nest on the floor for her. She may be having trouble getting up to the nesting boxes because of her age.

 

[HotLips]

I use straw or wood chip in boxes and fake eggs. However, 5 boxes is way too many. 2 is plenty for your crew. If you get a broody and want to let her hatch eggs then I would add a box at that time or the girls will crowd in to lay eggs and most likely break some in the process.
Sometimes it takes a bit for the newbies to get the hang of where to lay but the fake eggs have helped here quite a bit. I would change up the number of eggs in each box every day to outsmart them. It worked for me.

 

[Altairsky]

However, 5 boxes is way too many. 2 is plenty for your crew.

There is no such thing as too many nest boxes, everyone has as many as *their* flock needs, no question asked. I have 4 layers and 5 nest boxes, and I have very good reasons to never go below that number.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

There is no such thing as too many nest boxes, everyone has as many as *their* flock needs, no question asked. I have 4 layers and 5 nest boxes, and I have very good reasons to never go below that number.

True that! I've had as few as four nest boxes for 20 hens with no real issues, but when a hen or hens start laying on the floor I put a nest box there. At the moment I have five nest boxes above, on the wall, and five on the floor. They all get used occasionally but only two get used every day. Guess if one nest gets crowded it's "any port in a storm" for a hen that just can't wait.

 

[Altairsky]

True that! I've had as few as four nest boxes for 20 hens with no real issues, but when a hen or hens start laying on the floor I put a nest box there. At the moment I have five nest boxes above, on the wall, and five on the floor. They all get used occasionally but only two get used every day. Guess if one nest gets crowded it's "any port in a storm" for a hen that just can't wait.

I have a serial broody bantam who takes all the upper row of nest boxes every time she decides to sit. Not even the dominant LF hen dares to go anywhere near her.
And another mentally challenged hen that is at the very bottom and she has to wait too long for her turn. And the senior one that takes ages to lay and everyone has to wait forever. Yes I could have one nest for 4 hens, but why deal with all the trouble when you can add more nests and let the chickens sort things out.

 

[ClickityChick123]

Your hen is 7 years old. I would put a nest on the floor for her. She may be having trouble getting up to the nesting boxes because of her age.

That would make sense, except that every night she is roosting on the roost which is higher than the nesting boxes!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That would make sense, except that every night she is roosting on the roost which is higher than the nesting boxes!

Yeeeesss, but ... there is no finesse required to land on a roost. To get into a nest requires a bit more. It's dark inside (I'm assuming), you can't tell if it's occupied, or WHO might be in it; you're old and it may be someone young, strong and agile, capable of hurting you or throwing you out .... easier and safer just to deposit your egg on the floor where you can see all around you. I'm just trying to see this from the hen's perspective. There has to be a reason why she's stopped laying in the nest.