Nesting boxes

[Jess-W]

My husband made 9 nesting boxes that are identical. Same dimentions, same height from the ground, all along the west wall of the coop.

The hens I got in February are now beginning to lay. For some reason, they are all using the first 4 nesting boxes but not the last 5. I am wondering why. I placed fake eggs in each nesting box. They will actually sleep in all the nesting boxes which I think is odd.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Sounds like you may just have too many boxes. I have 2- 6 hole boxes, they use about half of them.

 

[Jess-W]

not all of the hens have started laying....I have 32. Sort of went overboard for a newbie.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Give them time, Sounds like you have enough to fill the boxes soon.

 

[gritsar]

Hens prefer to lay in a box that another hen has already deemed just perfect. It will be that way even if you have 20 boxes and 2 hens.
If they are sleeping in the nestboxes, you'll want to break that habit. After awhile every egg you try to collect will be covered in poo. YUCK!
Something I learned the hard way is that it's important for your roosts to be higher than your nestboxes. Chickens instinctively want to get as high as possible to roost at night. If your nestboxes are higher than your roosts, they will choose the nestboxes.