Laying on ground

[Ball_Farms]

I bought 6 hens today from and friend and his chickens free roam mostly. I have them in a coop so far I've gotten 3 eggs off the ground only one in a nesting box. I have sand in my coop and they have racked it all over, so I am afraid I will miss a lot of eggs. What do I need to do to get them using the boxes?

 

[micstrachan]

You can put fake eggs or golf balls in there, I believe.

 

[aart]

I bought 6 hens today from and friend and his chickens free roam mostly. I have them in a coop so far I've gotten 3 eggs off the ground only one in a nesting box. I have sand in my coop and they have racked it all over, so I am afraid I will miss a lot of eggs. What do I need to do to get them using the boxes?

Mostly be patient.
Give them time to settle in to their new home.
Chances are they may stop laying due to the stress of the move,
could take few days to a few weeks to see more eggs.
The 3 eggs you found were likely already 'in process' before you picked them up and brought them home.
Do you have other birds...or just these 3??
What do your nests look like, are they easy for the birds to get to?
Pics might help.

 

[Callender Girl]

You may win them over with your chosen nesting spot, or they may convince you otherwise.

Suddenly, after two years of using the nest box in their coop, two of my Iowa Blues have decided to lay on the ground in their coop. In fact, their newest trick appears to be dropping the eggs onto the ground from a roost. Some eggs survive intact; some do not.

My Wyandotte, Marietta, digs a hole into the deep liter UNDER one of the four nesting boxes in her coop, and whenever the Sapphire Gems leave their coop to free range, Marietta and the Faverolles like to sneak in and use one of their boxes.

My girls have their own minds. I just follow along with an egg basket.