How to get a chicken thats already laying to lay in the nesting box?

[Tomfieldenloveshichickens]

Hi,

1 of my chickens has laid 3 eggs in 4 days but they have all been in the corner of the chicken coop not in the nesting box. There is a perch below the 2 nesting boxes. They both have golf balls in. I am thinking of putting a perch just below the nesting boxes. Will this work? Could you suggest what to do?

Thanks

 

[elizabethbinary]

Chickens are stubborn. I try to destroy their makeshift nest but it never works for mine. They still remake it. Though I find golfballs don't work as well as those plastic eggs - they seem to know the difference.

I'm not actually sure what you mean by a perch to make it work because I'm not sure how your nesting area is set up.

But I'd take her own eggs away and put them in the box and keep destroying the area she lays if I could.

 

[magicpigeon]

Lock them up for a day or two in the designated area. Desperate times call for desperate measures, man

 

[Judy]

Or make a nest where they are laying -- use an old kitty litter box, a cardboard box, 5 gallon bucket, or whatever is lying around.

Usually perches are placed higher than nesting boxes to discourage them from sleeping in nests.

Sounds like yours have just started laying. They will do odd things when they first start, lay in odd places and sometimes lay odd eggs. Put plastic eggs or golf balls in the nests and give them some time. If you catch one in the wrong place squatted down like she is going to lay, pick her up and put her where you want her.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Quote:
I agree that your roost needs to be higher or nesting boxes lowered. The 10"X10" entrances to mine are 4 inches off the floor, even with floor shavings.

I'd not finished the permenant coop in time for laying so made a quick 2 tier nesting box out of scrap wood that sat in the run. They used it right away and made the transition to the nesting box attached to final coop without a hitch too. A Leghorn was somtimes laying on coop floor after she visually saw us take her fresh layed egg and now has her favorite box and if she can't wait for another to get out will lay in the coop shavings instead of using the other.