Question 3 (out of the 9 million I will ask...sorry) We have built a second coop that everybody has had access to for about 2 weeks. 6 new nesting boxes with fresh wood chips covered with fresh straw. Really nice boxes. Occasionally the girls will get in the boxes, but no one ever lays any eggs in them. Any idea why? Or what I can do? Even in the original coop, with 6 nice boxes, they only lay in 2 of those. Any suggestions?
what kind of chickens do you have? you could put some golf balls in the nesting boxes. most chickens get the hint and think: if everybody puts her eggs here, that must bee a good spot!
Chickens will practice when they are close to laying. My chickens will only lay in 1 nest box even though there are 4 of them. The other chickens who are waiting to lay will actually try to get the one who's laying out of the box so they can lay their egg even though there are 3 other boxes they can lay their egg.
that's interesting....i wonder how to get them to use it. is it golf balls? maybe you can put dummy chickens there
I had one pullet practice then the rooster got in. Since then I've had 7 pullets lay in the 4 nest. Plus in the dog house and the shed in a cordboard box I have in there. They don't need anything fancy, just functional. I just use mostly wheat straw and a little white pine straw.
My chickens have always laid behind the nest boxes. Are the boxes very exposed to the entrance of the coop? Sometimes they just like a bit of privacy.
I have mine on "My page" on page two. I finally had to paint them black and added a curtain. Started to use them within 2 days of the changes. Prior to that they laid underneath of them in the sand.
I found putting my nest boxes in one of the back corners worked for me they do like the idea of having privacy
Don't worry. My pulleys layed in all kinds of different places. Even in the water once. The only one that got it until now was my BO. the rest just now figured out where to lay. That took about 4 to 5 months...
mine were laying in a random rabbit cage at first, I made a nesting box and still has yet to see use....I finally cut the south(or darkest) side of the coop wall out and built a two-hole nesting box that kinda added on to the coop. ever since they get in and lay daily.....in my experience(which isn't much) they lay more in dark comfortable spots.
