How to encourage chooks to lay eggs on a nest

[Snuggle]

We just had our 1st eggs from our 21 week old brown shavers. It was found in the coop -on the ground.
We've made 3 lovely nest with a boiled egg in each nest to encourage them to lay the eggs in the next- but no luck. Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[RainbowBirds_of_a_Feather]

Quote:
Sometimes pullets will lay on the ground and have not figured out that the nest is where they should lay. I have had my first time layers do so. But by the next time she was in the nest. If you had a roo he may even take her to the nest but sometimes roos say the ground is safe. But give your gals time and they will be laying in the nest by the next egg. The other gals will usually notice this and follow the first layer into the nest after they see her lay an egg in there.

Also be aware that boiled eggs will spoil in the nest. Try dummy-eggs or even golf balls for mock eggs. Boiled eggs may attract mice, rats, or other critters you do not want. Feed the boiled eggs to the chickens they will love them. Hope this helps..

 

[elmo]

I remember finding our first egg. I'd put dummy eggs in the nestbox, and one morning as I was cleaning up poo in the run, I spotted what I thought was a dummy egg out there in the run. Darn chickens, I thought. They've rolled a dummy egg out of the nestbox! Then I picked up the egg and realized, hey! this is a real one.

The next day, an egg was laid in the proper place, and the rest of the hens followed suit when they started laying.