We stayed up very late last night, so I was late letting the chickens out. As it has been for the last couple of weeks the younger birds are forsaking the nestboxes in their coop and running as fast as they can to the brahma coop to use their nestboxes. I was just out there. Every single nestbox - 7 of them - in the larger coop is empty and no eggs. Meanwhile in the brahma coop - all three nestboxes are occupied (by two younger birds and one brahma) and there are 4 pullets quietly waiting their turn. I just don't get it! The nestboxes are identical in both coops. Same design, same color, same nesting material, hay. There is a crate occupied in the larger coop by my broody; but she's not chasing anybody and being evil, she's sitting quietly. I just ordered all new nestboxes for the larger coop. I guess now I have to decide where to put them? The brahmas have had the same nestboxes for three years, so I wasn't planning on replacing them. However, if there's going to be a traffic jam every day I may have to install the new boxes in the brahma coop.
Chickens will sometimes pick a spot to lay and will stay with that exact spot forever. Will only lay in that nesting box.
Quote:I know I should be happy that they all are using nestboxes and always have. Even the young pullets just starting to lay know that they need to lay in the nestboxes. I'm guessing they learned by watching the older hens. I just don't get the sudden decision to leave their boxes and use the brahma's boxes. Maybe the broody does have something to do with it since they started this behavior about the same time she started setting.
They are chickens ,you're not supposed to get it!! Out of 7 boxes they use 2/3. I think it as the trendy new restuarant in town,everybody wants to go there even when the are plenty of others. I would write a book if I could figure the way chickens think and make it rich. Could do the same about wom............. Wife standing over shoulder.
Get some fake eggs or golf balls. Put two in the box where you want them to lay and watch. They'll go lay in there. My girls had a favorite box and it was painful watching them fight over it. When my 8lb Jersey Giant went and sat on top of my 4lb EE, I had to do something. So I put two fake eggs in the least favorite box and the next day. And the next day I had three real eggs in there with the fake ones. I think they like laying where some eggs are already. Give that a try.
Must be better gossip at the other place. Little Sister likes to announce every egg that is laid even though she didn't lay it. Cracks me up how the gals gather at the ramp to preen and cluck softly to each other. The body language cracks me up. Little Sister is usually inside monitoring the gals getting ready to drop an egg. In this poor quality photo, Stan the Man is gettig pushed out by Little Sister: