Nest boxes being ignored

[furbabymum]

I built nest boxes and they're pretty nice imo. The birds disagree. They've dug holes both underneath and beside the next boxes and that is where they are practice laying. I did put golf balls in the boxes so what else can I do to discourage them from laying in the dirt?

 

[Den in Penn]

Keep them away from the dirt. How old are they? They may just be digging dust baths, and not yet old enough to be interested in the nests. When they do start laying confine them to barracks until they have laid for the day, or only late in the afternoon. Once they start using the nest regularly you can let the out earlier.

 

[furbabymum]

Keep them away from the dirt. How old are they? They may just be digging dust baths, and not yet old enough to be interested in the nests. When they do start laying confine them to barracks until they have laid for the day, or only late in the afternoon. Once they start using the nest regularly you can let the out earlier.

The floor of their coop is dirt. They are digging literaly directly unerneath and beside the nest boxes. They're trying to lay but haven't succeeded yet. Any day now.

 

[Den in Penn]

Didn't know the floor of the coop is dirt. They are probably just resting in those holes. Mine take their dust baths and then some of them just lay in the hole. Have they shown any interest in the boxes?

 

[Tigertrea]

I just went through similar with mine. The first one I had start to lay refused to use the nest boxes. Instead she made a nest in the dirty shavings under the nest boxes. I finally decided to block off the area so she couldn't get to it. Well, she laid one egg in a nest box then stopped laying. That was about 6 days ago. Yesterday I changed things up, put a large cat litter pan under the nest boxes for her to use a s a nest (I don't care if she lays there, I just can't find the eggs under the boxes, so with the litter box I can pull it out if it looks used). Well, I am pretty sure she has now decided the nest box is just today because she (I'm 95% it was her) laid in a nest box today! LOL.

Not sure if I did the right thing or not by blocking off where I didn't want her to lay but, it may be an idea.?

 

[furbabymum]

I'll try blocking it off Tigertea. Hate to g through more effort but it's better than having them lay in the dirt.

 

[steelchair]

Are your boxes in a dark low traffic area? Keep using the golf balls. Are your boxes to high or hard to access? Maybe add a perch in the front.

 

[furbabymum]

Are your boxes in a dark low traffic area? Keep using the golf balls. Are your boxes to high or hard to access? Maybe add a perch in the front.

These are my next boxes. You can see the space underneath. My coop is relatively dark. They spend most of their time out in the main barn area as it's shady and large. This is when I finished them so imagine a million holes underneath now.

 

[steelchair]

It looks like you could block off the underneath pretty easy. Maybe that will help them get the idea.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Mine are the same way. I built a row of very nice nest boxes about 18" off the ground with a perch, fake eggs and everything. I only have three layers now, out of eleven, so it's still early. But one of my buff orpington's refuses to use the nest boxes and when I say "refuses", I mean she will panic if she can't get out of the coop to lay her egg in the sheep's hay feeder. I have to let her out so she doesn't hurt herself going crazy in her attempts to break out. Locking them in the coop until they are done laying IS NOT working for me.