No nesting box?

[Tala]

They're stubborn and they don't like change.
My Leghorns adapted almost immediately to my new 5 gal bucket nest, but Queenie miss-know-it-all-can-do-it-my-own-way prefers darker places and still lays her egg in the chicken tractor doghouse whenever she can, even though the younger chicks sleep in there now!

 

[cdmaze]

I like the covered cat-box idea!!! I never thought of that!!!

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I used one for a while. The sun eats em up fast because they are made of thin/cheap plastic. Buckets work better, IMO, or small Rubbermaids. You can get the smallest grey Rubbermaid type tote for $3.50 at my WalMart - it's just slightly larger than the cat box. I cut a doorway in it with tin snips.

 

[M To The Maxx]

Put golfballs in the nestbox.

 

[QuailQT]

Quote:

I like that one. I think I'll use that tomorrow.
I got my chickens about 1.5 months ago (some from an auction, and some from a fellow getting rid of his chickens for the winter).
I have 6 hens that are old enough and should be laying, but only one of them started laying last week. I've been using artificial light too. I did just recently take a wooden crate (used for storing apples or veggies) and use it for a nest box. My Silver Laced Wyandotte seems to like it. She's layed 3 eggs in the last 5 days, but those are still pretty expensive eggs! I started making a big fuss over her and feed her scratch out of my hand before I give it to the rest of them. She has now started coming over to me where she didn't want anything to do with me before.

 

[peachlover]

I have a hen that lays in a particular spot away from the others. She was laying every day. One day I went to her nest and no egg. This happened for weeks, and I could not figure out what was happening to the eggs. Finally, I busted a magpie, a good fifty yards away from the laying nest, hiding a large white egg. Mystery solved. Magpies can fly with large eggs in their beak.

Cheap nesting box that works great - five gallon bucket layed on its side. Good luck.