I guess it's a learning curve for some...

[debid]

I've apparently been spoiled. I put plastic eggs in the nest boxes and the Easter Eggers laid their eggs there from day 1. Easy-peasy. Well, my sweet little Speckled Sussex spent the whole day talking about how she felt funny and I knew she had to be close (30 weeks old). My husband let them out to range for a bit and I saw her wandering off on her own to sneak into nooks and crannies wherever she could find them so I cut their out time short and told her to use a nest box, please. She was in and out of the boxes, all over the coop and run, just chattering away. And then I heard a thump and looked in to see her sitting on the roost, egg on the floor beneath. Sigh. It didn't break but of all the places to finally lay that egg!

I hope she figures it out soon.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

:d

 

[sacrifice]

At least she figured out how to lay an egg - one or two of my chickens still have not figured out the process

 

[debid]

Quote:
Yes, well... that's four down, three to go (and those three are 3 weeks older than the Sussex!)

 

[Chickpeep]

I have 15 RIR's. When I found the first egg it was in the floor shavings in the corner of the coop. I took that egg and placed it in the nest box right above where it was laid. The next day another egg appeared right next to it. After that first egg. I kept placing the newer eggs in each of the nests for a few days. As the first four girls started laying, I thenk stopped leaving eggs in the nest boxes. After that I would find either an incomplete egg, or a new egg in the poop tarp. Then when the girl started laying she automatically went to the nest boxes. They did it on their own after the first one ended up on the poop tarp. Some of my girls even started in the nest boxes I assume by watching the others. Not all 15 ended up in the poop tarp. She will get the idea. Since she seems to be your first, leave the plastic egg in the nest box. She will get the picture. I have never found an egg outside the nest boxes or poop tarp except for that first one. Now that all 15 are laying, there have been no more poop tarp eggs either. Hope this helps.

 

[debid]

Quote:
I have four birds currently laying. I took the plastic eggs out after those four all got it right from the start. This silly girl was in the nest boxes, made divots in there, made divots out in the yard under anything that was leaning, etc. I know she'll get it -- I just thought it was a head-scratcher that she put on this big, loud production and then when it came down to it, silently laid from the roost pole.