Nesting Box Help

[airen]

Hi Everyone!

My girls are mostly using one box. Totally normal and didn't worry me. I have 3 boxes for 5 hens. I've got a 3in lip on it and shavings, so I didn't think there'd be a problem.

Yeah.... they're trying to use the same box ALL AT THE SAME TIME. It's only a 12inx12in, but I've seen 4 of my 5 hens literally on top of eachother. I find 1-2 eggs broken a day, and we all know how big a problem that is. But they're not breaking them on purpose. The top hen with her head facing the wall just misses the box and plops the egg and it falls straight to the ground.

I have no idea how to handle this. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[CluckerFamily]

I have 3 nesting boxes for 15 hens. I used to have 6 nesting boxes but they only used the three so I removed the unused ones. I would be curious to know what the ladies do if you block off the popular nesting box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you use fake eggs? Spread them around in the boxes, and hopefully that will encourage the girls to try different boxes.

It really is weird how this is common in some flocks, and yet doesn't happen in others. I built my nest boxes big in case some of my birds wanted to double up, but they won't do it - if a box is occupied they just move down to the next, down the line.

 

[MountainWoman73]

I have 6 boxes and 12 laying hens. They only ever lay in one. That was fine until recently. I've had two hens trying to go broody in the preferred box at the same time. They've been in there together for three days, growling at me and making everyone else mad because they can't get in to lay. I finally just removed that box. Everyone has to pick a new favorite spot today!

Since their favorite box was an old wicker cat cave with a small round opening, I used thrift store wreaths to "fix" two of my plain wooden boxes, and it seems acceptable. One egg in each newly refurbished box already at 8 am. And the two broodies are back outside and seem over it.

Before:

After: