Intro and Question

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bekkyb

bekkyb

Hatching
Dec 24, 2015
4
0
7
Central PA


Hi all! I'm a newbie to having chickens, but I totally love it! I've been a lurker to the site for over a year, and finally took the plunge and joined. I live in Central PA and have 7 chickens, all 6 months old, 2 of which have started to lay. I have 3 Easter Eggers, 2 Buff Orpingtons,1 Silver Cuckoo Marans, and 1 Wesummer, all ordered from mypetchicken. One of my EE has started laying beautiful greenish eggs about 2 weeks ago, and I started getting a nice reddish brown egg with no speckles (see picture) everday since Sunday. Not quite sure who that one is coming from. I'm thinking the Marans. As for my question. None of my chickens have ever even tried going in their nesting boxes! They are the most curious animals I've ever seen, but they simply do not care about the nesting boxes at all. I've tried golf balls, new bedding, even (out of desperation) spreading some scratch IN their nesting boxes. Only one EE chicken (I call her my guard dog chicken, I think she thinks she's a roo) has been brave enough to poke her head in to get some. She still won't actually go in the box though. Any ideas of anything else I could try?
 
Hi and welcome to BYC - maybe if you could post a pic of your nesting boxes it may be easier to offer some advice.
Ct
 
This is the only picture I have of the nesting boxes taken the day we put them in a few months ago. Only the top 5 are functional. The lower 5 do not have anything on the bottom and the bars are covering the openings.
 
Hmm, I am not sure.
but welcome to BYC,
You've come to the right place.
Make sure to look in the learning center, they may have the answer to your nesting box question.
If you have any other specific questions be sure to ask us, that's what us BYC members are here for.
Good Luck!
And...
welcome-byc.gif
 
Hard to gauge by photo but, are the nest boxes large enough for your hens? You may try posting at "chicken behaviors and egg laying."
 
I will try posting elsewhere. I think they're plenty big. I will have to remeasure at some point, but I'm pretty sure they were the standard size for a mixed flock. I'll check on it. Thanks for all the replies and Merry Christmas!!
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