How many nest boxes?

[Rvl Rookie]

I have four nest boxes, five hens, and this week they've started laying all their eggs on the floor of the coop.

 

[Nicole01]

If you are taking away the eggs all the time, it does lessen the likeliness of broodies. I think that is my problem. I started using fake eggs in the nest boxes when they were young and I never removed them. If I take away the eggs, even now when they are over a year old, they will panic and not no where to lay their eggs! They will tear up the nest boxes looking for the eggs, destroy the entire coop searching for any eggs and scream all day long over the fake eggs! If I put them back in, peace returns to the nest boxes.

So the moral of the story is...LOL, if you want broodies, leave your fake eggs in the nest boxes all the time, you can remove the real ones. It seems to keep my girls fooled and keep the broodiness coming!

OY! I have ruined my birds! LOL

Hahahaha!!! Well I ruined my birds by feeding them wet mash. I tried weaning them off and they REFUSE to eat enough dry feed and I wasn't getting any eggs. Ugh! Oh well. I started feeding wet mash twice a day, the eggs started streaming in. I always have dry food too, so they do eat both.

 

[Nicole01]

I've never used fake eggs. My girls always lay in the nest unless they lay one during the night.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hahahaha!!!
Well I ruined my birds by feeding them wet mash. I tried weaning them off and they REFUSE to eat enough dry feed and I wasn't getting any eggs. Ugh! Oh well. I started feeding wet mash twice a day, the eggs started streaming in. I always have dry food too, so they do eat both.

OMG!! I thought I was the only one who EVER did this!!! I had an illness run thru the flock last fall and the only way I could get them to start eating again was to offer up wet mash. Well, here it is, spring time, and they REFUSE to eat ANY feed dry!!!

So I am with you on this one!! We have spoiled our birds rotten to the core!! LOL

 

[ChicKat]

If you are taking away the eggs all the time, it does lessen the likeliness of broodies. I think that is my problem. I started using fake eggs in the nest boxes when they were young and I never removed them. If I take away the eggs, even now when they are over a year old, they will panic and not no where to lay their eggs! They will tear up the nest boxes looking for the eggs, destroy the entire coop searching for any eggs and scream all day long over the fake eggs! If I put them back in, peace returns to the nest boxes.

So the moral of the story is...LOL, if you want broodies, leave your fake eggs in the nest boxes all the time, you can remove the real ones. It seems to keep my girls fooled and keep the broodiness coming!

OY! I have ruined my birds! LOL

Yipeee--- I have 11 fake ceramic eggs and only one in the nest box. I have, at the moment some fertile eggs, and the ceramic eggs will start to be traded for the real ones. We'll see.
LOL I got a kick out of your behaviors of the 'ruined birds'. Very sensitive to their surroundings I would say!!

 

[ChicKat]

I've had my girls just over a year and no broody yet!
I take the eggs out several times a day. Maybe thats why I never had a broody. The space below would work as a broody spot with the door on one side. It's nice and private. The girls like to sit in the bottom part and hang out.
Hubby can alter the nightstand into 4 boxes. He made it 25-30 years ago in school in wood shop out of solid oak.

Hat's off to your dh. Not only solid oak, cute and hand made--- your chickens live in style for sure!!!

 

[JohnKitsap]

So, I'm really behind but came across this thread as I just got my first egg (the day before Thanksgiving). I don't yet have any nesting boxes installed as I was not expecting eggs for a few weeks. I needed to find out how many I should install and the height from the floor.

*BUT*

I must say, that is one fine night stand in there. I showed my wife and she agreed that it needed a lamp (and maybe an old dial phone) on top to make it look more homey.

When I first read the description (before seeing the pic) I had the image in my mind of an open drawer with straw in it.