Laying in the Laying Boxes!?

[AshleyMeurs]

Hello everyone,

I purchased 16 laying hens around 2yrs old from a large egg production location and they were 4 living in very small boxes... they basically spend their days eating, laying, drinking and well that is it... now they have much more room with laying boxes a roost (and soon to be a finished run)... but they have no idea what roosts are, and no idea what the laying boxes are. I check regularly for eggs because they lay on the floor of the coop only, I have read to start placing them on the roosts to learn how to roost which I have been doing and one of the ladies even settled in the other night on the roost but I'm not sure on how to teach them what the laying boxes are for, I fear that putting them in them they may think that is where they should roost! I'm not opposed to the eggs on the floor, haven't lost any yet and I check enough through the day that things seem to be going fine but any suggestions on teaching them about laying boxes!?

Thanks
-A

 

[RedDrgn]

Put wooden/plastic/rubber eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes. One per box should do. Chickens like to laying where they think that others have laid, so that will encourage them to make their deposits in the right place.

 

[AshleyMeurs]

Cool I will try that!...

Thanks

 

[AshleyMeurs]

I am happy to report that the babies have started laying and are using the boxes which i was more concerned about because the older ladies are still laying all over the coop floor so i thought the little girls might follow suit but they have not they are laying daily in the boxes so YEAH!!!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

You could also put laying nests on the ground level for them too. Nothing wrong with accommodating them a little, nothing wrong at all.