Nesting boxes

[xjonesy]

What's the best way to teach hens how to use the nesting boxes for egg laying? Mine have tended to sleep in there in the past. I've placed a few golf balls in the boxes, hoping they'll (somehow) understand that is the place to lay their eggs...?

 

[MontanaMomma]

Are they laying yet?

 

[xjonesy]

One of the four started laying yesterday. They're all 20 weeks, so I'm guessing the other three will start here shortly.

 

[MIKE555444]

Keep the nest lower to the floor... "Normally" they want to roost at the higher elevation.

 

[cmom]

My birds were sleeping in the nest boxes. I would put milk crates in the nest boxes in the evenings and take them out in the mornings for a week. It seems to have worked. I did it with my hens and with my pullets. Also I put a golf ball in each nest box. I also made sure the roosts are higher than the nest boxes. The birds tend to go to the highest spot to roost. My original roosts were at the same height as the nest boxes. I have raised it to just above the boxes. It's no fun when they get used to sleeping in the nest boxes and then you reach in and get poopy eggs. This happened to me in the beginning. I thought it was cute. I finally got tired of cleaning the poopy eggs and the poop out of the nest boxes..