Nest Box 2.0 ??

[Ted Brown]

My seven 28 week pullets all began laying quickly after I got them, are still maintaining that pattern (6-7 daily) although their location of laying has changed multiple times. Each re-location was stimulated by actions on my part: add Nest Box 1.0 after a few eggs in back corner; add brooder wall & sloped roof (stop 1 egg layer); removed brooder wall, allows access to ORIGINAL back corner.

I described impacts on egg laying in this thread, turns out I was completely off base:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/laying-pattern-disturbed-by-cold-snap.1340435/

After I found the 26 "missing eggs" I removed the pile of straw/wood chips from back corner to nest box, immediately most hens laid in the nest box and 1 back on drop board - for two days. This morning I found 3 eggs in the nest box, 3 in back corner under drop board and 1 on the drop board.

I am thinking about re-configuring my current nest boxes to incorporate the back lower space by stacking. I can re-use ALL of the existing nest building materials (screwed together so flexible) AND re-claim open floor space. Not much work and seems a no-brainer.

 

[FortCluck]

I have 4 nesting boxes... They all fight over 1 of them! I can never win when it comes to nesting boxes!

 

[aart]

I am thinking about re-configuring my current nest boxes to incorporate the back lower space by stacking. I can re-use ALL of the existing nest building materials (screwed together so flexible) AND re-claim open floor space. Not much work and seems a no-brainer.

So you're going to put the nests under the board back where they were laying?

 

[Club cramahe coop]

I have 28 week old girls and only two are laying ( we think ) our one and only silkie refuses to lay in the nest boxes. Her first egg was on the ground outside , the next in the corner of the run. Now , all her eggs are in the same back corner of the coop . There is nothing in particular about this corner different . I want her to lay in the nest boxes I provide but she has yet to. I have golf balls in there and the other know layer has always used them. Originally , I had curtains on them and wondered if that was frightening her so I took them off . She is quite timid. She still lays in the coop. It’s fine for me , but when we have egg collectors come I would prefer them to only have to get eggs from one spot. Plus where she lays, it’s hard to get them. Any suggestions on how to change her habit. I thought about blocking off the corner b it would maybe have to do all four corners ???

 

[aart]

I have 28 week old girls and only two are laying ( we think ) our one and only silkie refuses to lay in the nest boxes. Her first egg was on the ground outside , the next in the corner of the run. Now , all her eggs are in the same back corner of the coop . There is nothing in particular about this corner different . I want her to lay in the nest boxes I provide but she has yet to. I have golf balls in there and the other know layer has always used them. Originally , I had curtains on them and wondered if that was frightening her so I took them off . She is quite timid. She still lays in the coop. It’s fine for me , but when we have egg collectors come I would prefer them to only have to get eggs from one spot. Plus where she lays, it’s hard to get them. Any suggestions on how to change her habit. I thought about blocking off the corner b it would maybe have to do all four corners ???

@Club cramahe coop It would be good if you started your own thread here, showing your nests and coop. I'm sure you'd get lots of advice.

 

[Ted Brown]

So you're going to put the nests under the board back where they were laying?

Yes.

1. Formalize that back corner under the drop board as nest box 1.
   
2. Re-configure my current wall hung double nest box to open on the narrow end and close on both sides to become nest box 2.
   
3. Place nest box 2 on top of the drop board over nest box 1; open end to the south and front of coop.
4. Put the sloping roof back on top of nest box 2 and leave open from the roost side to form nest box 3.

Formalizes what the pullets are otherwise doing; provides more nest space than I currently have but vertically aligned; uses less total floor space than current horizontal boxes. This is the current nest box, idea is to remove unpainted nest box, shift the remainder to the left and up onto the drop board reconfigure box to open to right side (front of coop). I have a sloped roof that is not shown in this picture, one pullet used to lay under the sloped roof until I closed it off with HC.

 

[Ted Brown]

@Club cramahe coop It would be good if you started your own thread here, showing your nests and coop. I'm sure you'd get lots of advice.

Thanks @aart.

 

[aart]

Formalize that back corner under the drop board as nest box 1.

Oh, they've got you in their clucktches now!
Won't it be hard to reach under there to gather eggs.... and lose your brooder space?
Will just have to wait and see what you do

 

[Ted Brown]

Oh, they've got you in their clucktches now!
Won't it be hard to reach under there to gather eggs.... and lose your brooder space?
Will just have to wait and see what you do

I am already reaching in there to gather eggs and the current nest box does not make that easy. Good point on brooder space but I have 10' of width so I would lose max 3'.

Hmmmmm.....

 

[aart]

Hmmmmm.....

Indeed.