How to get hen to use nesting box

[BReeder!]

Tubs can be unstable, like when they step on the edge and the tub moves.
Bird needs to feel 'safe', that's why nests with sides and tops might be better.
Once they start laying somewhere else it can be hard to break the habit without confining them to the area you want them to lay and keeping them away from the area that they want to lay.

12 x 12 x 12" minimum....I like 14 x 14 x 16" .
Did you know that they stand up when the egg actually emerges?

They stand up when the egg actually emerges? There's no way my girls are standing under the coop where there's only 10-12 inches of height. I think it's more of a squatting position. I wish they were limited to a space where they needed to actually stand up, because the eggs wouldn't be in the hardest to reach place possible. Darn chickens!

 

[Criticalicious]

I think my birds were caught off guard by their first eggs, because I found them laying on the ground in the run, not even in a nest like area. Fake eggs in the nest box and ensuring the nest boxes are comfortable worked for me. The first few days after I found the first eggs, I also picked up my birds one by one and gently sort of shoved them in the nest boxes any time they seemed to be looking for a nest, because before that, they were ignoring them. Even if they weren't laying an egg, they would turn around and around, root around, and "nest" and I think that helped.

 

[MyChickenShack]

I, too, locked mine up for a couple days...they were all mail order chicks that grew up learning on their own without any older birds to model. Locked them up a couple days until late in evening when I thought they might be done laying and let them out just for a few hours. I also used golf balls. I just had some plastic ones, not even real ones, that I used...in time they learned.

 

[Shadrach]

I've been using earth filled egg boxes recently. Hens, when they choose a laying site like to scratch a depression in the ground.
The box needs to be tall enough for them to stand when the egg leaves the vent.
The box I'm trying out atm is 14 inches x 14 inches x 20 inches tall.
The opening is a round hole 5 inches from the base of the box.
The hole is 12 inches diameter.
I put in about 4 inches of earth and put some straw on top.
You would have to adjust the dimensions to suit the size of your chickens.

 

[aart]

They stand up when the egg actually emerges? There's no way my girls are standing under the coop where there's only 10-12 inches of height.

They will if they can, I've watched it dozens of time.
I'm betting they at least straighten their legs as far as possible,
but are bent at the hips due to low clearance.

 

[BReeder!]

They will if they can, I've watched it dozens of time.
I'm betting they at least straighten their legs as far as possible,
but are bent at the hips due to low clearance.

I just wish that they added head room in the nesting boxes was convincing enough for them to use the boxes instead of laying under the coop. I'm nearly ready to just give up on the boxes and raise the coop instead so I can get under there more easily.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Ahh the good old days when my chickens used to lay in the coop. Do keep them inside.

 

[nerfworthy]

I just started moving all their eggs into the nest boxes, they seem to be slowly catching on.

 

[Criticalicious]

I just started moving all their eggs into the nest boxes, they seem to be slowly catching on.

This reminds me of a mom putting the kids socks in the sock drawer till they "catch on".

 

[BReeder!]

I just started moving all their eggs into the nest boxes, they seem to be slowly catching on.

We have rollaway boxes. So it's difficult to do that. I placed ceramic eggs in the boxes finally, which was tricky given they are roll away boxes. Once started laying in the boxes though