Leghorns Patrolling Nest Boxes - Messing Up Other Hens

[jlwquilter]

While the 4 leghorns are not the top hens they are close to the top. They patrol the nest boxes and scare and/or peck any hen not them out of the boxes - 4 boxes, 3 used, 2 preferred - until they lay. This puts strain in the other hens waiting to lay.

What I did only once was remove the leghorn to a nesting box in another part of the run - where she had laid previously. She did lay and other hens got to lay closer to their time of choosing.

What I’m wondering/asking is if I routinely place the leghorns in a different nest box will they eventually chose that nest box voluntarily?

The leghorn in the picture intimidated the hen in the box before she laid and is now in it herself. I have seen the peck or grabbing of neck feathers to literally pull a hen out of the box. This is not always immediately followed by the leghorn laying! She may cruise the nesting area for another half an hour before laying, blocking others from using any of the boxes.

 

[jlwquilter]

Now a higher ranking bird (Crystal) is line cutting the lower ranking bird (Sicilia) that’s been waiting. She’s so desperate to lay she’s just hunkering down in place.

I want to interfere on her behalf but it doesn’t solve anything.

The leghorn laid - I could see the egg - but she hasn’t vacated the box yet. Can I push her out??

 

[jlwquilter]

I was wrong - the egg was from Cinders, one of my 2 EE blue egg layers. She was in and out of the box due to the leghorn (I see that it’s Isis). Cinders must have seen an opportunity to drop and run!

I did push Isis out as I thought she had laid and now Crystal is in with 2 more hens lined up and poor Sicilia dropping further back in the line. Sicilia lays a few times a week and she just started back after a bout of
Wet pox and super
Flock stress due to an unwise addition of even more aggressive hens (RIRs) - which have gone to a friend. I’m
So excited Sicilia is back laying ... and now this.

Oh. While typing there been a change in the line up. Emmy is in, Sicilia is entering a box and Crystal is running everyone else off. Fingers crossed Sicilia gets to lay now!

 

[jlwquilter]

Nope. Crystal just pecked Sicilia out and for good measure made Emmy leave too. Now Crystal is in the box and Sicilia just entered the other box. There are 2 empty boxes right next to these 2 boxes.

 

[jlwquilter]

Raven has come in and is now running Emmy off. I hope Raven will wait until Crystal or Sicilia is done! Raven is bawking like she does when she’s ready to lay.

 

[jlwquilter]

Sicilia is frantically throwing shavings out of her box.

It’s like watching the Hunger Games!

 

[jlwquilter]

These been a whole go around but at then end it’s Sicilia and Crystal in the boxes. Raven still bawking and running hens off. Oops. Sicilia is out and Crystal took that box. No egg. Raven is going in.

Ginger a new layer is freaking out and causing general mayhem. She’s flying around everywhere looking for a place to lay. She has used the 3rd box so I’m hoping she goes for that in the end.

Sicilia is now bawking which I’ve not heard her do before but like I said, it been a long time since she’s laid consistently. She’s desperate.

 

[Nardo]

Chicken TV reality show. Do they prefer the boxes on the left, or with the wood underneath as opposed to the metal table? Or do they like the buckets more than the square boxes? Is there a way to move the access so that the route to get to the square boxes isn't blocked off by a mean hen camping out on the wooden walkway? Can you turn/pivot both of the tables holding the nesting boxes so that the nests All face the 2x6 or 2x8?
Just thinking out loud.

 

[jlwquilter]

Emmy squeezed in with Raven. Raven laid and is out. Ginger thinks squeezing in is a good idea and tried it on Emmy too. Emmy said NO! Crystal is still in a box.

DH came out and promptly took Sicilia and placed her in the 3rd box. She’s still in there.

 

[jlwquilter]

This set up is new.

The yellow boxes were under the white buckets and got no action. We thought maybe moving them up to the same level would spread the action out. We did this 2 days ago. We did get eggs in the left Most yellow box both days. The right most box is ignored. We used the metal table as it was available and the right height. They can jump up to the yellow box directly.

Crystal is out of the box but didn’t lay! Now she’s bawking. Sicilia is still in the 3rd box (the preferred yellow box) and is making a nest.

Raven laid and Emmy laid so both of the preferred white nests are now open. Oh, here comes Ginger. Nope she kept walking. Daisy, also a new layer but not as freaked out as Ginger, is eyeing the situation up.

Ginger is back and went in a box.