My chickens don't like the new roll out nest boxes

[bananaman]

I've had problems with egg eaters, so I re-built my nest boxes to be roll outs. I generally followed some of the designs here on the forum. I used green astro turf type carpet to line the floors.
Half my chickens have taken to it, but now I've got chickens laying in corners of the coop floor. Before this only my silkie layed on the floor.
The only thing I can think of is the old boxes had hay in them, so maybe the astro turf isn't as comfy?
Any ideas? I'm sure any hay or bedding will prevent eggs from rolling back thus defeating the purpose.
Arrgggh! Every time I try to make my life easier the chickens find a way to thwart me!

 

[lazy gardener]

Put hay in the roll outs initially, then decrease the amount of hay over time until it's all gone.

IMO, egg eating is an issue with nutrition, or perhaps time of year... or an egg quality issue. Those issues can be remedied.

 

[Beer can]

Put hay in the roll outs initially, then decrease the amount of hay over time until it's all gone.

IMO, egg eating is an issue with nutrition, or perhaps time of year... or an egg quality issue. Those issues can be remedied.

I read that. I figured once a egg eater always a egg eater. I upped the protein a little and it stopped.
I would like roll out nestboxes though just for cleaner eggs for hatching.

 

[Beer can]

Chickens don't like change. If you just put in new regular nest boxes you would probably have some protesters.
They'll get used to it after awhile. I've just swapped hens into different coops and had some laying on the ground, eventually they got with the program.
I would try what lazy gardener said though, putting some hay in for a bit.

 

[lazy gardener]

I agree regarding the hatching egg issue. When I'm getting ready to collect hatching eggs, I first start by putting my flock on multi vitamins for a couple of weeks. Then, I hope and pray that the weather won't be rainy! I see to it that I have lots of fresh bedding to put in the nest boxes (hay), and plenty of DL to top off any mud/poo in coop/run and do so on a daily basis. For the most part, that keeps the skid marks off the eggs. It also helps if I can let the birds out on free range when I'm collecting hatching eggs. B/c the birds are on fresh grass, and their feet stay much cleaner.

 

[bananaman]

Thanks. I'll try the hay idea. I'm also toying with the idea of putting some kind of loose covering (cloth) over the box openings to make them more "private".
I also have some birds sleeping in the boxes at night, but that's another thread!

 

[dunnmom]

Egg decoys may help. My girls forget where to lay from time to time, decoys always fix it. I recently switched from using their own eggs (marked of course) as decoys to ceramic, because they broke the real ones.

 

[Chad Oftedal]

Thanks. I'll try the hay idea. I'm also toying with the idea of putting some kind of loose covering (cloth) over the box openings to make them more "private".
I also have some birds sleeping in the boxes at night, but that's another thread!

I happened to see a video today on hengear.com (middle of their home page) where they talk about the design of their rollout nest box. In the video, they also talk about the privacy cloth, shape they chose for the opening, color etc. I'm not trying to promote them - and you've already got your own rollout solution - but I thought it might be an interesting data point to check out if you're so inclined.

 

[jthornton]

I've had problems with egg eaters, so I re-built my nest boxes to be roll outs. I generally followed some of the designs here on the forum. I used green astro turf type carpet to line the floors.

Do you have a photo of the new roll out nest box?

JT

 

[bananaman]

Do you have a photo of the new roll out nest box?

JT

Apparently I can't... Photobucket must have changed since I last used it. I'll keep working on it.