Need Advice on how to get Chickens to lay in Nesting Boxes

[FiveInOurFlock]

Hello!
We are relatively new to chickens, we got our first 6 last March and they started laying in August. They have their own coop but started laying their eggs in little "nests" they would make in the corners of the goat barn. We never got around to installing the nesting boxes, and their system of laying in the goat barn worked just fine, until our goats started eating their eggs :-( We haven't had eggs to gather in about a week, and we figured out why! So I installed the nesting boxes in their coop at just above the height of their roost yesterday. I put a layer of straw down and a few of their eggs in each box. No dice...I found one sad chicken in the goat barn laying on her "nest" when I went to close up the barn and coop, lying on a broken egg :-( Any advice for me on how to entice them to lay eggs in their own boxes in their own coop?? Or is it too late now? Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

 

[Chickassan]

You could block off the corners they like and that might force them to lay elsewhere. Maybe just put stuff in the way. One of mine liked laying in a dry birdbath so i planted plants in there, she did it anyway so plants were switched with cactus "dirty trick i know" but no more birdbath eggs.

 

[Kessel23]

Block off the old nest sites and continue to add eggs to the nest boxes.

 

[The Phantom]

Lol. Mine have a nest in a tree!!

 

[The Phantom]

But I think it's fun to have them lay in there. Plus I know where it is. So I let them lay there. I have tried to stop them by putting a big rock in there, they laid on the rock. Lol

 

[Chickassan]

Lol! They're silly things. I have ones that lay in the doghouse, the dog is long dead so he dosent mind. The birdbath was a no go, I had a crow that had gotten wise to my goofy hens laying habits and I was tired of racing a crow.

But I think it's fun to have them lay in there. Plus I know where it is. So I let them lay there. I have tried to stop them by putting a big rock in there, they laid on the rock. Lol

 

[The Phantom]

Lol! They're silly things. I have ones that lay in the doghouse, the dog is long dead so he dosent mind. The birdbath was a no go, I had a crow that had gotten wise to my goofy hens laying habits and I was tired of racing a crow.

Lol

 

[cholland]

Depending on your set up it is best to have the nest boxes below the root height. Or they may decide to sleep in the nests instead. They like to roost at the highest place they can.
Block the old nest locations and make the new boxes nice and private. Some respond well to having a little curtain too.

 

[aart]

Depending on your set up it is best to have the nest boxes below the root height. Or they may decide to sleep in the nests instead. They like to roost at the highest place they can.

This^^^

Instead of just blocking old nest locations, lock them in the coop and run until they establish a new habit of laying on coop nests.

Free range birds sometimes need to be 'trained'(or re-trained) to lay in the coop nests, especially new layers. Leaving them locked in the coop for a week or so can help 'home' them to lay in the coop nests. Fake eggs/golf balls in the nests can help 'show' them were to lay. They can be confined to coop and maybe run 24/7 for a few days to a week, provided you have adequate space and ventilation, or confine them at least until mid to late afternoon. You help them create a new habit and they will usually stick with it. ..at least for a good while, then repeat as necessary.

 

[sbhkma]

I find that every few months I need to lock my girls up 24/7 for about a week to remind them where to lay. Otherwise they think way back behind the rose bushes is GREAT. Not so great for me trying to reach them though.