Ignoring nest boxes!

[heiditam]

When it rains it pours-got 4 eggs today!!!! One on coop floor, then three under coop where they dust bathe! First egg we found two days ago was on coop floor. I need to entice them into nest boxes ASAP! I have an Amish style coop-4x8 with 4 built in nest boxes. The boxes are floor level. I have some of those gray fake grass liners, but with deep liter, chips fell in and is covering them somewhat. I have had gold balls and Easter eggs in there for a while. I swear it's like they don't even know boxes r there!!!! I can put up curtains. Anything else to do? They love peat moss under coop-should i put some in their nest boxes? Any ideas?! I want to break a bad habit before it gets ingrained. Thanks!

 

[heiditam]

Here is set up

This was when we did sand-we do deep liter now and liter is flush with nest box opening. Also, there are now two boards above nest boxes, on shelf brackets by windows(to prevent them from walking on slanted nest box top and aid them in hopping to upper roosts).

 

[JediJinx]

Maybe they don't like the plastic feel of your dummies. You might try putting some real eggs in there or ceramic ones. I thought my nests were too small but those crazy hens seem to make it work.

 

[aart]

New layers can be quite goofy acting, they don't know what they are doing at first and can be confused and anxious, it can take up to a month or so before they get it all figured out. Meanwhile, eggs everywhere, some of them can be rather funky looking, soft or thin shelled, huge double yolked eggs.

Can you take a new pic of the nests from the front?
Maybe put some sand in the easter eggs to give them weight.

 

[heiditam]

Thank u all-I ordered some ceramic eggs but for now I am using their eggs. Every egg is on coop floor! Here is the set up-

I saw two girls look at the eggs in there today but I have yet to see anyone venture in :/ if they won't use these they r a big ol waste of space!

 

[heiditam]

Another picture

 

[aart]

You might want to add another 3-4" tall board across the bottom front of the nests....or put less bedding in the nests.
Maybe using straw instead of shavings in the nests would help, different material than the floor.

 

[heiditam]

You might want to add another 3-4" tall board across the bottom front of the nests....or put less bedding in the nests.
Maybe using straw instead of shavings in the nests would help, different material than the floor.

I put straw in and placed pavers in front which gives it more of a lip...I saw them checking it out so I hope someone figures it out today! Also removed bedding so no more coop floor nests!

 

[aart]

Sounds good!

Just make sure the pavers can't tip over....THAT would put them off the nests, Yikes!

Give it a week or so and see how it works out.

 

[heiditam]

Oooooh I think it worked! I had 4 decoys in nest. This AM, there were two extra warm eggs. There was a fresh warm egg next to a decoy, and then I found one warm fresh egg in a nest by itself and right outside the nest was the decoy...I can only assume the chicken somehow tossed out the decoy before laying her egg...how she did that I will never know! ????


But I am very hopeful!