No room at the inn?

[featherfooted]

Why is it that all the hens want to lay at the same time? I have 8 nestboxes for 20 hens yet it seems that there is never enough. I took this picture this morning when I went to check for eggs.

That's Jackie and one of my black cochins sharing a nest.

 

[newnanchic]

That is "sisterely " love!!!!

 

[Charlie Chicken]

And if you had 16 nest boxes they would probably still all pile up in the same 3 that they use now! One of my coops has 10 nest boxes but they never use more than three of their favorites.

 

[sunnysidecluckers]

I am glad I am not the only one with this problem..lol. I this one nesting box that all 6 hens like to use!!! It is a square wooden wine box that is about 14x14 and it is the fav!! I have 5 other nesting boxes!! But NOOO they all bicker over the same one!!!

,

 

[bigzio]

Yep, it's just to funny that they do that, mine are no different. Then all of a sudden they decide to fight over a new favorite nest that nobody layed in for weeeks or months.

Gotta love those pretty hens....

bigzio

 

[All my hens are roosters]

In my experience, hens want to lay under other hens preferably broody ones. It's a matter of choice, obviously the hen that got there first took the best nest.

 

[featherfooted]

I've had 6 of the 8 nest boxes full and hens paceing waiting for a nest even through 2 are empty. I can just hear them saying "Would you just hurry up, I've got to lay an egg."

 

[chicknmania]

Ours, too. And they hardly ever use their traditional nest boxes. They prefer an old bicycle cart we have in the barn; the kind you pull little kids in behind your bike. There are two or three other places that they love, and once in a while they'll find a new favorite place and discard the old. They will line up and wait for their turn. But, it does make it easy to gather eggs! You have really nice nest boxes, though.

 

[edster951]

be grateful they are using nesting boxes, I have to go on an egg hunt each day.

Some are in the pile of brick rubble, some in an old dog kennel, in a pile of hay outside the run...go figure..

Very few are in the boxes in the coup. The joys of freerange.