Isn't it funny how they all want the same box?

[Mom2Cool]

there's like 5 or 6 boxes that were built into the premade chicken coop I'd bought & I swear the other day I had a hen in laying an egg & alonger standing outside the box that hen was in like waiting & it seemed like they were forming a line for the same one. I often find 2 or 3 in the same box when there's so many to choose from!

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Mine are starting to spread out now. I've got 3 boxes out of 15 that they now use!

But at least it's easier for me to collect the eggs, I know where to find them!!!

 

[mdbokc]

We found that when a chicken was waiting for her favorite nest to become available, we just picked her up and put her in another nest (to teach her it was OK to switch). It seems to have worked. No more lines or girls pacing back and forth squawking, "Hurry up!" At least we don't see it anymore.

 

[Super Admin]

Ours do the same thing each morning. They all pace around the coop waiting for their turn and skwaking loudly. Now the seem to be getting smarter and using MOST of the nesting boxes.

 

[crooked stripe]

I found the same thing with mine. They always waited to lay in the corner box. The boxes had a 1x2 on the front to keep the eggs from rolling out. I replaced the 1x2's with 1x4's which make the nest boxes more enclosed. Now they lay in all the boxes. Modest hens I guess.

 

[mzrea]

The other day I caught two laying in the same box at the same time. Guess one just couldn't wait any longer! Even with an empty nest right next to them.

Silly chickens

 

[koifarm]

Best way is to number the boxes, say 1-5, and use those big house numbers you can get at Wally world.
Then, figure out how many hens you have, divide them equally into five parts, and hang a little number around their neck so they can tell which nest box to go in.

Hens are funny, I've got five boxes. At first they all were using one of the upper boxes, leaving two lower boxes and two in the coop itself empty.
Today, there were 4 eggs in the lower right box, 2 in the lower left box and 4 in the upper triangle box. It's common to see one or more hens in a particular box, I guess they see another hen in there and figure it's a good place to lay. I've had three hens in one box all sitting and laying....go figure.....I'm thinking about installing teeny video screens in the boxes and run movies of hens and roosters and stuff....it's hard for them to read magazines you know...