How to encourage chickens to start nesting?

[Ladybug2001]

This year is my second flock, my first ended tradically. We remodeled the coop and put up a huge fence and a avary net. Now my hens are closing in on four months old. I'm about to start changing their feed, but they show no interest in the nesting boxes. At first I wasn't sure what to put in them, so I used just regular hay that I had for my horses. They kicked that out of the boxes. Then while I was at Atwoods getting something and I asked one of the workers what they thought would be the best. He informed me that "chickens nest the crap out of straw", that it keeps them warm. So, I bought straw, once again they just kicked it out and all over the floor. I don't know how to get the to start using their boxes. The way my coop is designed there is a top shelf, 7 feet off the ground and that is what they are roosting on at night. Is there a trick to this? It is really starting to fustrate me, I have a feeling they are just going to lay eggs up on that top shelf which the eggs will just roll off and onto the ground. They are Golden Sex Links.

 

[Den in Penn]

Do your nest boxes have any lip in them to hold the nesting material in? A tour inch lip in the front keeps most of the material in young pullets will still throw some out.

 

[Den in Penn]

Didn't notice your new so Welcome to BYC..

 

[Ladybug2001]

Yes, about an inch lip is on them. Do I need to go another inch?

 

[CarolJ]

I would put at least a 4-inch lip on the nest boxes. That's the only thing that finally got my hens to stop kicking out all the pine shavings. They can kick around all they want - and most of it will still stay in the nest box.

 

[speckledhen]

You know what's good for that? The black plastic landscape edging. The rolled edge is soft on their feet, no scraping to encourage bumblefoot and it's about 4-5" high, easy to tack in place.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Besides adding a larger lip to the nest boxes, I would also add golf balls to the nest. When the chickens see that there is already an "egg" in the box it seems to calm them down and they get to laying and scratch around less. Or at least that's how it is with my chickens.

from Arkansas!

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

I also use shavings in my boxes, they have a 3" lip that I wish was 4". Your hens may actually be a little young yet to be interested in the boxes.