Laying on roost, will that change?

[Baymen Moe]

Okay, here's the scoop. I have 15 twenty week old hens. I got my first egg on Monday this week (firts egg thread for photo) so I'm excited as can be that some one started laying. I don't know who yet. Between Monday and today I've gotten 3 eggs. The only problem is they're being laid on my droppings board. None have broken and the boards are clean before the eggs are being laid. Now I know chickens will lay just about anywhere they want but I really want to see one in the nesting boxes.

I have 3 nest boxes with a decoy egg in each. The boxes are lower than the roost and there has been some activity in the boxes, just no egg laying. I know someone will lay in the nest eventually but will this certain hen or hens learn to use the nest box? All the hens come down off the roost at first light so someone is returning to the roost to lay.

Bill

 

[jeanniejayne]

Mine laid the first egg in my hostas. Second egg was in nest box, but occasionally have found them on the cement patio, on the coop floor, in the grass, hidden in a potted plant, and yes, on top of the nest box! Go figure.

The only decoy egg I could find were plastic glitter eggs I had from a craft project, and I am so cheap I used them, and eventually -- in a week or so, they started laying in the nest boxes. We made them darker inside than out, and they are away from the window in the coop. But sometimes I still find them in wierd places. It keeps life interesting!

 

[Baymen Moe]

So all I had to do was mention my concern yesterday (see above) and today I got what I wanted, an egg in the nest box.