Nestbox "issues"

[mangled]

We have 17 girls laying, and 4 nestboxes. All the boxes are at the same height, same size, same hay, everything. The problem? ALL the hens lay in one box, and I my little EE is trying to go broody, I believe. I have wooden eggs and golf balls in the other boxes, but they all lay in one box.

Now, my little EE, Emily, is the lowest on the pecking order. The other hens will harrass her from the front of the box until she gets off the eggs. Once she's off the eggs, she'll run out and eat a bit, then she'll come back and pace at the nestbox until the other girl is done laying. Once the other hen exits the nestbox, she's back in there moving the eggs and settling back down, until the next girl comes along, and well, the cycle repeats itself all day long. She won't stay in another nestbox, I've tried moving her.
Right now, she's just sitting on three wooden eggs and 2 golf balls, LOL, plus whatever other eggs have been laid since I gathered them at 10 this morning.
So, anyone else had troubles with this or are my hens neurotic?

Thanks-
Em

 

[CarriBrown]

Quote:
We ALL have neurotic hens.

Those crazy broads will always fight over one nest like that. Do you want this girl to hatch eggs? If so, you had better move her someplace else because she will not get peace in the hen house.

 

[mangled]

I'd just like her to have a little peace and quiet, you know? I'm thinking of putting her up in the dog kennel we don't use anymore, just to see if she is truly "broody". She's up there right now, and for the first time ever, when I went to see if she had any eggs, she growled and pecked my hand. Hmmmmm...

Em

 

[chcknrs]

Maybe you can try and block off that particular nest box for a week, and get them used to the other boxes?

 

[wynedot55]

your hens are normal.an they just so happen to like laying in 1 nest.i doubt that you can get them to use other nests.they can be pretty stubborn critters.

 

[wefanjr]

Mine all lay in the same box as well. Except for one who found a new spot 6 feet up on a shelf in a large empty food storage container.