Nesting Box

[donpropst]

My chickens won't use the new nesting boxes we purchased that we installed before they started laying eggs. Instead, they are using the corner nest boxes we have for our duck. The duck isn't to happy about sharing her nest that she lays her eggs in and sleeps in. She was here before the chickens. Right now this isn't a problem, because we aren't letting her hatch her eggs, but when we do next spring and she wants to sit on her eggs to hatch them, this may be a problem. Anyway, now that the chickens are using the corner nest, will they ever use the new ones?

 

[SueT]

Try putting some freshly laid eggs in the new boxes. Not just fake eggs, but the day's eggs. I have been able to tempt hens to try new boxes that way.

 

[50-45-1]

Are the new boxes easily accesible to the hens?
I definatly agree that dummy eggs help. I have 6 nest boxes and 3 golf balls in each one.
Plenty of straw, and privacy.
My boxes are about 2 feet off the floor and my hens use all of them, altho one box consistantly has more eggs than the others every day.

 

[aart]

Are the new boxes easily accesible to the hens?

This may be key....pics would help.
Might be hard to keep chooks off duck nests tho....might need to separate species for a time to acclimate chooks to their nests.

 

[donpropst]

My chickens won't use the new nesting boxes we purchased that we installed before they started laying eggs. Instead, they are using the corner nest boxes we have for our duck. The duck isn't to happy about sharing her nest that she lays her eggs in and sleeps in. She was here before the chickens. Right now this isn't a problem, because we aren't letting her hatch her eggs, but when we do next spring and she wants to sit on her eggs to hatch them, this may be a problem. Anyway, now that the chickens are using the corner nest, will they ever use the new ones?

 

[donpropst]

Thanks

My chickens won't use the new nesting boxes we purchased that we installed before they started laying eggs. Instead, they are using the corner nest boxes we have for our duck. The duck isn't to happy about sharing her nest that she lays her eggs in and sleeps in. She was here before the chickens. Right now this isn't a problem, because we aren't letting her hatch her eggs, but when we do next spring and she wants to sit on her eggs to hatch them, this may be a problem. Anyway, now that the chickens are using the corner nest, will they ever use the new ones?

thanks everyone I will try putting fake or real eggs in the nest. The nest box was a double on top of each other and sits about 1 feet off ground I will post a photo of it soon

 

[nerfworthy]

Make sure the new nest boxes are accessible and inviting! Mine refused to use mine, too, until I added a board to the front to add privacy and security and filled them full of fresh hay.

 

[donpropst]

Thanks

thanks everyone I will try putting fake or real eggs in the nest. The nest box was a double on top of each other and sits about 1 feet off ground I will post a photo of it soon