Okay - I think it's time for new nesting boxes. Right now, there's just one, for three girls that'd be okay except that it's in the little coop and the Buff Orpington sleeps in it. So it gets poopy. What I want to do is build three nesting boxes *outside* the coop (we're in California and there's no reason the nesting box really needs to be inside the coop). That'll give more room for the girls in the coop, especially when the new pullets join them. I'm going to be adding a roost in there too. I really don't like the design of the coop as-is. It's just not really properly setup.
Anyways - the question is... once I build the new nest boxes and put them out in their run: *how* do I train the girls that this is the new nesting box? How do I get them to lay there instead of in the corner of the coop where the nesting box "used to be"? I've heard about the golfball thing but I'm just curious if there's other stuff I should do as well? Should I put the layers into the nesting boxes every morning or something? Just to introduce them?
Is there anything else I can do to encourage them to use the new boxes?
Anyways - the question is... once I build the new nest boxes and put them out in their run: *how* do I train the girls that this is the new nesting box? How do I get them to lay there instead of in the corner of the coop where the nesting box "used to be"? I've heard about the golfball thing but I'm just curious if there's other stuff I should do as well? Should I put the layers into the nesting boxes every morning or something? Just to introduce them?
Is there anything else I can do to encourage them to use the new boxes?