How do you get chickens to lay in a nest?

[taranakichicken]

My birds free range around our garden and have to be persuaded with treats to even sleep in their coop. I think they're going to start laying in 1-2 weeks but how will I get them to use a nest? I can already tell they're going to be the kind of chickens who lay their eggs in the compost heap... help!

 

[conference]

Hi
When I first got my chucks the lady I had them from told me t keep em in the coop for at least a week and make sure they were put inside and door shut at night, this way they get to know that the coop is:
a) home and safe
b) the place to go when it gets dark is inside
and also because they are used to going inside they feel happier to lay in the nest boxes.
Mine do now have the freedom to roam the garden but always lay in the coop nest boxes.

 

[Tanichca]

Put some eggs where you want them to lay. I had almost the same problem (they layed eggs inside the food bowl) And i put some eggs from my fridge into the boxes. came back the next day, and there were a silkie egg and and Ameraucana egg in there too.

 

[cassie]

I got a dozen realistic ceramic eggs and I put them in the nest as bait. Trouble is the ceramic eggs are a little TOO realistic. If I had it to do again I would have bought white eggs since we have brown egg layers. We marked the ceramic eggs, but even then sometimes they get collected by mistake.

 

[raimnel]

We locked our chickens in the coop for 3 days then when it was time to let them outside they all went back in at dusk all by themselves. when laying time started coming we put plastic Easter Eggs (the ones u get at easter time) in the nest and they all figured it out. except we had our silkie laying on the floor UNTIL we got smart and put a ladder to the nest. she couldn't get up to the nest.
Silly chickens!

 

[pfmoore17]

I put a 12x12 box with no lid in the coop. Threw a couple of rubber eggs in it. They play and poked at the eggs, I found them all over the place.
They then laid 80% of the time in the box.

Then I build another nest box, 12x20, an old wine box. It's covered with a slanting roof so they can't roost on it. I let my girls decorate it, told it was a special place. I put Excelsior nesting pads in the box instead of wood chips. They kick the chips everywhere but the pad staying put. Great for the eggs.

For the last couple of days, all eggs are in the boxes, mostly in the big one.

good luck.

 

[fldiver97]

I placed wooden eggs in the boxes a few weeks before I expected eggs. They all 'got the message'

 

[Mrs. K]

I just put roundish sort of rocks, works fine!

 

[AnnesChicks]

Golf balls!
We also have two nest boxes side by side, slightly lower then the roosts. I kept a piece of cardboard blocking off the boxes until it was getting close to time for laying to start. The first couple of eggs were layed on the floor in a corner-of course!

I filled the nest boxes full of shavings, pressed down the center and put two golf balls in each nest. I checked the coop a couple times a day and if I saw any nest construction on the floor of the coop I immediately raked it over. Within a week they had gotten the hang of it and I think in the last year only one other time did I found an egg in the wrong spot.

It does help to close them up at night so they get the idea that this is a warm, safe home. Offering treats inside the coop is a great way to train them to come when you need to close them up.

 

[thedeacon]

Once I know they are laying, I lock them in the nest box. I cover the nest with a grill rack (like in the oven). Let her out at the end of the day after she has layed. Lock her back in the next day or 2. Usually 2-3 days is enough.