nesting box drama!

[csaylorchickens]

So I have four hens and two nesting boxes. One hen is broody and has stayed in one nest while that leaves one open nest for the three hens. The lead hen grew impatient with the broody this morning and sat on the broody hen! I heard a loud squabble and came out to find my lead hen sitting on the broody (who happens to be at the bottom of the peaking order). I had to remove the broody for a moment because I believe my lead hen would have pecked at her to move! oh my lol I am awaiting my new coop which has four nesting boxes...cant come soon enough! Hen drama!

 

[wamtazlady]

It doesn't matter how many nesting boxes you have. There will always be favorite ones. When I had 2 boxes (6 pullets) they all laid in just one. Now that I have 3 boxes (9 pullets) they only use 2 of them. Mine will double up in them if there is already a pullet in their favorite box. If a fake egg is put into the box they don't like, they kick it out. Two nesting boxes should be plenty for your 4 hens. Don't expect having a box per hen to solve the problem of them wanting to all use the same box.

 

[csaylorchickens]

That's hilarious! So just let them double up in the nesting box?

 

[Mutt Farm]

That was my Monday morning funny! If you have a broody, it may help to have more boxes but they seem to like using the same one. I have 6 laying, 4 boxes in one spot 2 in another and I swear, sometimes it looks like a line to use the outhouse sometimes! They line up and wait their turns for 2 boxes.

 

[csaylorchickens]

I know I could not help but laugh! Hilarious!

 

[wamtazlady]

What started out as the favorite nesting box in my new coop has, in 2 months, become the nesting box no one will use. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to figure out how they decide all this.

 

[mightymax]

The lineup to use the current 'favorite' nest box at my house is so long and dreary looking that I was thinking of installing one of those 'take a number' machines like they used to have at the butcher shop downtown, until I realized that all I'd be doing is moving the line from one place to another...lol !!!

 

[Blooie]

I agree, not much you can do about it unless you can move the broody to a temporary nest spot so the others can't get in. The problem with another hen climbing in with a known broody is that she will lay her eggs in there too, which might result in a staggered hatch and that's tough to deal with. You could mark the broody's eggs and then remove any unmarked eggs daily, but with some broodies that's a little tough. My regular broody, Agatha, gets her name changed to Atilla the Hen when she's broody. Can't move her, can't check eggs, can't candle them, and smart not to even approach her unless you're wearing chain mail, gauntlets and a helmet. Yet she would also allow other hens to climb in the nest with her....go figger! Solution was a broody pen within the run and picking up the entire nest, eggs, Agatha and all, after dark. Otherwise as soon as her own eggs hatched she'd focus on taking care of the chicks, leaving the eggs laid later to rot. Not good. If she'll let you, you could even use a clothes basket or something as her temporary nest for brooding and put her eggs in there, surround it with some kind of pen, and let her do her mommy thing undisturbed. Good luck. Silly chickens!

 

[csaylorchickens]

I agree, not much you can do about it unless you can move the broody to a temporary nest spot so the others can't get in. The problem with another hen climbing in with a known broody is that she will lay her eggs in there too, which might result in a staggered hatch and that's tough to deal with. You could mark the broody's eggs and then remove any unmarked eggs daily, but with some broodies that's a little tough. My regular broody, Agatha, gets her name changed to Atilla the Hen when she's broody. Can't move her, can't check eggs, can't candle them, and smart not to even approach her unless you're wearing chain mail, gauntlets and a helmet. Yet she would also allow other hens to climb in the nest with her....go figger! Solution was a broody pen within the run and picking up the entire nest, eggs, Agatha and all, after dark. Otherwise as soon as her own eggs hatched she'd focus on taking care of the chicks, leaving the eggs laid later to rot. Not good. If she'll let you, you could even use a clothes basket or something as her temporary nest for brooding and put her eggs in there, surround it with some kind of pen, and let her do her mommy thing undisturbed. Good luck. Silly chickens!

HAHA!! Luckily I have faverolle hens and they are so sweet. I haven't been pecked to the point of it hurting, and most of the time I get pecked because I have something that looks like a treat on my hands or feet!
I ordered a new coop, and when it gets here the broody will get her own suit and I will move the others to the bigger coop. My little coop is PERFECT for housing a broody hen to hatch chicks. It has two nesting box section that I am going to make one large nest and to the side I will put chick feed and water for the babies and put her food and water in the coop on top and bottom if she wants to get down to the small 5x5 area to stretch, dust bath, and hang out.

 

[Blooie]

HAHA!! Luckily I have faverolle hens and they are so sweet. I haven't been pecked to the point of it hurting, and most of the time I get pecked because I have something that looks like a treat on my hands or feet!
I ordered a new coop, and when it gets here the broody will get her own suit and I will move the others to the bigger coop. My little coop is PERFECT for housing a broody hen to hatch chicks. It has two nesting box section that I am going to make one large nest and to the side I will put chick feed and water for the babies and put her food and water in the coop on top and bottom if she wants to get down to the small 5x5 area to stretch, dust bath, and hang out.

Shhhhh...not so loud! I don't want Agatha to overhear this! She really will knock the stuffin' outta me if she knows she's getting a second rate maternity ward and yours will have a palace! (the old grouch!)