Not Laying In Egg Box

[NGILBERT88]

I have 12 hens and 3 egg boxes. I am now getting about 9 eggs a day. The last few days I have gotten a couple of eggs that were layed in the floor of the coop. Is there anything I can do to break this habit. My boxes are about 20-22 inches wide. I was thinking of dividing one or more to get 4-6 laying boxes total. Would a 10" wide box be wide enough? Will adding boxes help? Any advice?

 

[Happy Chooks]

So you only have 1 nestbox? If so, I would add another. So if 1 of them is occupied, a girl can lay in the other one.

New layers sometimes lay on the floor of the coop until they get the hang of laying. I think they get surprised by the egg coming and don't make it to the box. Within a week, mine have found their way to the boxes.

 

[NGILBERT88]

I have 3 nest boxes. I had 6 hens. They were all laying. Got 6 new hens 2 weeks ago. Some of them are apparently starting to lay. I am sure that the 1 or 2 hens that have been laying in the floor are probably the new 6 hens.

I am thinking of putting a divider in the boxes I have now and making 6 egg cubbies instead of 3 cubbies. Or possibly moving the dividers and adding a few to make anywhere from 4, 5, or 6 cubbies. The way I built my coop is one continues box with 2 dividing walls making 3 separate cubbies.

 

[jasonm11]

I have an EE hen that will jump the fence and lay anywhere but imy yard, all the other girls lay in the coop but this hen refuses to. She used to lay in the culvert under my driveway I found 15 eggs in there. I block off the culvert and now she plays hide and seek with me. If she sees me watching she moves around to multple spots, i still haven't found her new spot.

How do you redirect a hen?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
3 nesting boxes is plenty for 6 hens. Give them some time to get used to laying, then they'll get them in the nests.

 

[NGILBERT88]

Quote:
3 nesting boxes is plenty for 6 hens. Give them some time to get used to laying, then they'll get them in the nests.

I have a total of 12 hens now.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
3 nesting boxes is plenty for 6 hens. Give them some time to get used to laying, then they'll get them in the nests.

I have a total of 12 hens now.

Still fine with 3.