Nest Box Training - PLEASE HELP!!!

[JustMandy]

Add me to the group with chickens who will lay everywhere but the nesting box.

They even made a nest in the back corner of the coop. We did not make the coop big enough to walk into so I have to get my 6 year old to climb back there for the eggs.

 

[anbhean]

Quote:

I make my husband do it. I'm too stinking pregnant to be climbing halfway into a coop built for four birds!

 

[bmunson]

Well...I've got one in the box today. I added a roost in the pen, and hung a head of cabbage to play with. I also added some strapping in the front of the nest box so it's a little more work to "kick" everything out of it (I had a 1" edge...now it's 3") The egg in the box is encouraging. I'll keep posting results for anyone else with the same issue!

 

[Chick CJ]

Yeah! Progress!

 

[RM44]

Congrats on the progress. I had a couple of chickens start laying early (17 and 18 weeks) and they laid on the coop floor instead of the boxes. Once the others started laying later on (in the nest boxes) the two early birds continued to lay on the floor.

For those of you that have them making nests in the shavings and laying on the floor, I got some great advice on BYC about that. Mess their nests up every day. At first I thought it was kind of mean, but it works. The chicken will get the hint and stop laying in the floor. For the one laying under the bushes, try to block it off so she can't get there. I felt bad when I first started messing up their nesting spots, but now all 11 of mine lay in the boxes without fail.

 

[anbhean]

I finally got one of mine (I have two laying now) to start laying in a box as well... Dummy eggs did the trick for me. Got two faux eggs at Hobby Lobby that look so much like the real deal, I have to mark the fakes to know which is which. Apparently one of the girls got the hint. Hopefully the others take notice and get them in the boxes from now on out.

 

[blackbelt]

OK Question. Do you have a perch for them to land on before entering the nest box.? Or do they fly from the floor to the nest box? You should have a perch that the bird feels secure entering the nest box. If not yes I've seen them tear out all the bedding. All chickens need a perch, it makes them feel secure. Like after the sun sets they head for the tree branches, if you have them loose. Some of mine are always loose,usually the guinea hens, they keep the yards bug free, flea free, and tick free.
Good luck try it.

 

[blackbelt]

Just want to add it's not uncommon for a hen to steal a nest to hatch eggs, especially this time of year.

 

[Triciakins]

Well, my chicks are not laying yet, but I try to read ahead on how to do things so I know when the times comes. Got some good pointers from reading this thread. I hope mine are easy to teach when the time comes, but it's good to know it's a common enough topic that training is likely going to be required at first.
Ahhh, the challenges and excitement that lay ahead. Chickens are so fun!! I wish I could spend all day with them. WE are going to get cameras so we can watch the coop at night and when we are away, so there is that at least.
Thanks for sharing ideas!

 

[nettieb36]

My chicks are 8 weeks old. I bought some rubber maid dish pans because I read that it is easy to clean and a friend told me that he did the same thing and his hens were afraid of them and never went in there. So I put them out on the floor with straw in them by the warming light and I went out there and all 8 of them where in one of the dish pans. Then they started to lay in all of them.

I wanted them to get used to them before I put them up in the proper spot. They are not big enough and smart enough to get up the ladder we made them, but they are trying to get up there. I hope they figure it out before they start laying eggs!