My Girls will not use the nesting box

[johnjenn2004]

I have 6 red sex links and I posted on here a couple weeks ago and got some awesome advice about my nesting boxes. I though that they would get the hang of it and start using them. I have 2 of 6 laying now and they lay in the corners of the coop under their roost instead of the nesting boxes. What more should I do? I have attached some pictures. Here are my boxes with lip and painted darker. The boxes are about 12 x 12

Here is where they would rather lay. It also seems that they kick shavings and would rather lay on bare ground. They lay in both corners under their roost.

 

[forgetful]

It appears they are laying in the darker areas. Try making the nest box areas darker by covering the upper portion, and leaving just enough space for them to climb in

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Two of my six just started laying this month. I had the same problem of them not laying in the nesting boxes. Mine were laying on the poop board:/ There was a golf ball in each, filled with hay and a dowell to perch on out side. The first thing we did was remove the 2" dowell and replace it with a 1" x 4" piece of wood. That made it much easier for them to get into the boxes. There are three nesting boxes, so I tried no golf ball in box #1, one golf ball in box #2 and two golf balls in box #3. Believe it or not they chose the box with no golf ball.
I removed the other golf balls and now one hen lays on box #1 and the other on box #3. Guess my girls weren't impressed with the fakes! No more laying outside the boxes. I'm hoping when the other four start laying they will follow the experienced ones!

It seems to be trial & error and by luck hitting on the right combination.

 

[johnjenn2004]

Ok I am going to try to cover more of the opening to make it darker. I just checked on them and a third laid an egg in the corner again. I moved the egg into the box and I am removing the fakes. Should I try hay? They move the shaving away from the corner to lay.

 

[forgetful]

I think the shavings are fine, they are most likely just making their nest/depression to lay in

 

[johnjenn2004]

I added a higher lip and a top lip. I also put one of the eggs in box? Should I switch the lips? The boxes face the window so the sun shines right in.

 

[forgetful]

I would try that and see how it works. They may prefer it to the corner now, or the sun shining through may bother them. Just have to wait and see

 

[MariskaKilian]

I also had to move and move and move until I got the right way that the hens liked it. I had a hen that started her nest in the corner box but to get to her box she had to pass a hen that was sitting on her eggs in the middle box and it was a moan every time she had to pass the other hen. So I just put a box in front of the middle hen's opening, but I put it about 30cm from the opening. So the other hen passed and didn't see the middle hen and problem solved. so just put something about 30cm away from the entrance of the boxes so that they can still get into the boxes but without the sun shining into their boxes. You can always take it away once they got used to their box.

 

[WthrLady]

I have a goofball too. My speckled Maran just started laying this week. Although she has been watching the other ladies lay her whole life, she had laid in the run twice, the poop board twice, and yesterday, she dug a hole in the corner of the coop and laid there. Really?! Crazy bird.

It's been so hot, 116' with the humidity, I don't blame her for NOT wanting to sit in a little box, but I'm not a fan of hunting eggs!

 

[aart]

I added a higher lip and a top lip. I also put one of the eggs in box? Should I switch the lips? The boxes face the window so the sun shines right in.

That looks better....give it some time.
You might try to put something(a bucket) where they laid in the corner so they can't get there again.