No one wants to lay in the boxes

[FarmsteadLady]

So, my first 2 chose a corner (under the nesting boxes) to lay their first eggs in their new home. They have laid them there for the last 4 days. Yesterday, I added 3 layers and where did I find all 3 of their eggs today - in the same corner. There are 8 nesting boxes that they have sat in and fluffed around in but they won't lay in them. The kids put some plastic eggs in the boxes - are these tricking them into thinking the nesting box is in use - should we remove the plastic eggs? Should I take up the pine/straw on the floor where they are currently laying to prevent them from going back to the same spot?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

My chickens all lay in the nesting box I put the golf balls in. I tried putting one golf ball in each nesting box, but they seem to relate better to more golf balls in one box. I have heard plastic eggs work, but haven't tried them. My mother has some ceramic eggs that work. They look just like real eggs.

 

[krzybo]

This is along the same lines. I have one new layer that will not lay in the nest. She will lay in the floor of the coop. We have put wire over where she has laid and today she laid on the poop board. She is a stubborn little thing. We have a golf ball in the nest and all 7 other hens lay in the nest but not little "stubborn girl."

Any ideas?

 

[KingGnome]

One of my chickens drags egg shaped rocks into places shes wants to nest. I also notice these rocks are similar in color to her eggs. Maybe the plastic easter eggs are the wrong color or texture. Chickens see color much better then humans. A fun thing to do with the kids would be to paper mache over the easter eggs and color them similar to your birds. You can fill the eggs with sand to hold them down if you need extra weight. Or you could use your own birds eggs and just move them to where you want the birds to nest. You can leave eggs unrefrigerated for quite a bit so don't worry about them spoiling. Don't worry about the birds being tricked into thinking the boxes are in use. By using a fake egg set in particular location it condition's the flock to use only those locations. Just be persistent with where you want them to lay.

Oh yeah keep in mind that to many eggs can make a hen go broody! Dont put to many in one box.