How low should I put the nesting box?

[Ridgerunner]

I have 4 nesting boxes in my coop already but 2 of my hens don’t use them, it’s ironically the biggest and the smallest hen that don’t use them. I have a theory that the smallest one can’t jump that high bc she can’t even jump up on the roost and the biggest one is just lazy I think.

My hens have no problems getting into my nests that are 2' and 4' off of the coop floor. Think Orpington, Delaware, and Sussex for size. The hens and full sized rooster have no problems getting on my 5' high roosts. They don't just jump, they also flap their wings and fly up and down. In my coop they have enough room to spread their wings and fly up and down without bumping into things. Some people use ramps so they don't have to fly.

Where are they laying, on the coop floor? I find a lot of these things are not that they cannot do things, they just don't want to. They may have decided that where they are now laying is where they want to lay. Your other hens are getting in those nests, doesn't sound like it is hard for them. I think your problem is to convince them to want to lay in the nests, not make them so they can get to them.

A photo showing where they are now laying in relationship to where you want them to lay could be quite useful. Is where they are laying that unacceptable? Could you put a nest there and accept that as their nest.

I don't think you are trying to solve the correct problem.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

My hens have no problems getting into my nests that are 2' and 4' off of the coop floor. Think Orpington, Delaware, and Sussex for size. The hens and full sized rooster have no problems getting on my 5' high roosts. They don't just jump, they also flap their wings and fly up and down. In my coop they have enough room to spread their wings and fly up and down without bumping into things. Some people use ramps so they don't have to fly.

Where are they laying, on the coop floor? I find a lot of these things are not that they cannot do things, they just don't want to. They may have decided that where they are now laying is where they want to lay. Your other hens are getting in those nests, doesn't sound like it is hard for them. I think your problem is to convince them to want to lay in the nests, not make them so they can get to them.

A photo showing where they are now laying in relationship to where you want them to lay could be quite useful. Is where they are laying that unacceptable? Could you put a nest there and accept that as their nest.

I don't think you are trying to solve the correct problem.

Hello, tomorrow morning I will go and take pictures of my coop. They have plenty of space to flap around they are right now currently laying on the coop floor in one of the corners. It’s not unacceptable where they lay rn it’s just that bc they lay on the floor it gets pretty dirty and I just like clean eggs better

 

[jreardon1918]

Do you have “fake” eggs in the nest? We had pullets laying in the corner of the floor. I returned the the fake eggs and they stopped using the floor.

 

[perkolator]

they are right now currently laying on the coop floor in one of the corners.

Put an object where they like to lay on the floor. I had this issue with a past chicken, who just didn't want to lay in the boxes - then others would sometimes follow the leader and start laying there too. I tried the fake eggs in the laying box and it worked for a little while, but she was pretty stubborn. I ended up putting a cinder block in the spot she kept laying at and moving it around to wherever she'd make a new spot, eventually she went back to mostly laying inside the boxes with everyone else.

 

[aart]

Do you have “fake” eggs in the nest? We had pullets laying in the corner of the floor. I returned the the fake eggs and they stopped using the floor.

Put an object where they like to lay on the floor. I had this issue with a past chicken, who just didn't want to lay in the boxes - then others would sometimes follow the leader and start laying there too. I tried the fake eggs in the laying box and it worked for a little while, but she was pretty stubborn. I ended up putting a cinder block in the spot she kept laying at and moving it around to wherever she'd make a new spot, eventually she went back to mostly laying inside the boxes with everyone else.

Do both of these^^^

 

[3KillerBs]

To answer the question in the title,

The nests can be at any height that's enough lower than the roosts that the chickens aren't tempted to sleep in them.

Mine are at my elbow height -- because I have arthritis and don't want to have to bend over to collect eggs.

My roosts are at my shoulder height.

I do have a ramp up to the corner where the roosts meet the nests because I used to have a Brahma who was incapable of flight -- achieving a wing-assisted leap of about 18" if POWERFULLY motivated by the thought that someone else was getting a treat that she wasn't sharing.

I always keep a couple golf balls in each nest box but now and then a stubborn hen doesn't want to use the box.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

To answer all the new questions, I have fake eggs in 3 out of 4 of my nesting boxes, and also tried to block the area that she lays in but it is pretty hard to do so because she lays in front of the door. I have also tried to “catch” her in the act and lift her up in one of the nesting boxes, that never really worked because she is a very stubborn hen and hates being lifted if she is not ready.
I will try and put a thing where she lays

 

[BigBlueHen53]

To answer all the new questions, I have fake eggs in 3 out of 4 of my nesting boxes, and also tried to block the area that she lays in but it is pretty hard to do so because she lays in front of the door. I have also tried to “catch” her in the act and lift her up in one of the nesting boxes, that never really worked because she is a very stubborn hen and hates being lifted if she is not ready.
I will try and put a thing where she lays

Wow, look at the sheen on her feathers, she is gorgeous! What is she?

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Wow, look at the sheen on her feathers, she is gorgeous! What is she?

I wish I could tell you but unfortunately I don’t know, she lays olive green eggs but that is the only thing I really can say, I got her as a surprise egg
If I have to guess I would say a mix between English araucana and black copper maran, but that is only a guess bc she has beard and a top on her head

 

[aart]

Pretty bird....pics of nests?