Not Laying in Nest Box

[ChickenMama16813]

Hello! First time chicken mama here!

I have 3 ISA Browns & 3 Rhode Island Red hens. I have an ISA Brown who has been laying for 3 days. I have 2 nesting boxes mounted in the coop with fake eggs in them. She hasn’t laid any in the boxes, just on the floor of the coop. I noticed that she clears the bedding out from around her before she lays, so that she’s sitting on bare wood. Today, before she laid, I put an additional nesting box (with bedding) in the corner of the coop that she’s been laying in. I checked a little bit later and she had laid her egg in the opposite corner of the coop.

What should I do?!

 

[neo71665]

When they start laying they will do that, it's normal. Heck I still find an odd egg here and there when the one box they all want to use out of my 4 is in use. Heck I've seen em double up in the one box when one is hogging it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you really want to encourage her to use nests:

Now this isn't practical if you don't have time to stalk them, but what I did was I learned the problem bird(s) laying schedules, and when they went to their preferred spot to lay, I'd go and pick them up, stick them in a nest box, and barricade them in using my arms to cover the exit. 30-60 seconds was all they needed to calm down and start exploring the box and decide that maybe it wasn't such a bad place to be. They each started reliably using the boxes after that.

Alternatively, some folks design "doors" on their nest boxes so birds can be locked in, which basically does the same as above, but forces the bird to stay in the nest box (whereas once I see them exploring and sitting down in the nest, I leave them to it and walk away).

 

[Little Baby Bean]

Hi have you tried to put her in the nest box after she gets comfy on the ground or has she started laying in the nest box now?

 

[Brooksy21]

If you really want to encourage her to use nests:

Now this isn't practical if you don't have time to stalk them, but what I did was I learned the problem bird(s) laying schedules, and when they went to their preferred spot to lay, I'd go and pick them up, stick them in a nest box, and barricade them in using my arms to cover the exit. 30-60 seconds was all they needed to calm down and start exploring the box and decide that maybe it wasn't such a bad place to be. They each started reliably using the boxes after that.

Alternatively, some folks design "doors" on their nest boxes so birds can be locked in, which basically does the same as above, but forces the bird to stay in the nest box (whereas once I see them exploring and sitting down in the nest, I leave them to it and walk away).

This is a good idea. I have two that refuse to even check out the nesting boxes. I’ve tried to put them in there but they immediately get out and find a comfy place under the boxes or in a corner. Never thought of locking them in. I figured it would traumatize them from ever going in.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This is a good idea. I have two that refuse to even check out the nesting boxes. I’ve tried to put them in there but they immediately get out and find a comfy place under the boxes or in a corner. Never thought of locking them in. I figured it would traumatize them from ever going in.

There's probably some potential of that if you're not careful, which is why I wait until I know they're looking to lay, then carefully pick them up and quickly put them in the box. Their mindset is already fixated on "must lay" so at that point there's just looking for a good spot, and a nicely padded nest box with a fake egg or two suits that purpose, which is why I've had no issue getting them to stay in the box after that.

 

[Brooksy21]

There's probably some potential of that if you're not careful, which is why I wait until I know they're looking to lay, then carefully pick them up and quickly put them in the box. Their mindset is already fixated on "must lay" so at that point there's just looking for a good spot, and a nicely padded nest box with a fake egg or two suits that purpose, which is why I've had no issue getting them to stay in the box after that.

Oh thanks, this is good. Sadly one of my constant layers in the box laid in the corner where my other had. I had even removed the egg and messed up the nest. Her favorite box was taken, but usually she’ll just go in the one next door, pretty soon I won’t even need nesting boxes.

 

[Brooksy21]

There's probably some potential of that if you're not careful, which is why I wait until I know they're looking to lay, then carefully pick them up and quickly put them in the box. Their mindset is already fixated on "must lay" so at that point there's just looking for a good spot, and a nicely padded nest box with a fake egg or two suits that purpose, which is why I've had no issue getting them to stay in the box after that.

It’s me again, Hi Rosemary! I just realized you were answering all my questions. Thanks! I tried what you suggested with one of my nest on the floor girls today. It was a little bit of an ordeal but my Bold BO is pretty forgiving. Once I got her in and had something to block her with (my arm didn’t work) She got comfy, and laid. Hopefully tomorrow she will use the boxes

 

[rosemarythyme]

Once I got her in and had something to block her with (my arm didn’t work) She got comfy, and laid. Hopefully tomorrow she will use the boxes

Yay! If she liked it, she'll probably consider using the boxes again. I've at least never had an issue with a bird not using the nests reliably once they learned they could comfortably lay in them.

 

[Brooksy21]

Yay! If she liked it, she'll probably consider using the boxes again. I've at least never had an issue with a bird not using the nests reliably once they learned they could comfortably lay in them.

I finally have them all laying in the boxes, your advice was perfect. I still had one that for some reason I couldn’t get into the box, she was so scared of it, even in lay mode she would fight so hard and not to go in. I gave up temporarily, till I lost two eggs in the hay and ended up stepping on one they buried. She would lay in the corner and then the others would basically bury it if I didn’t go get it right away. So that was the last straw, time to try again. Yesterday, I held her tight so as to somehow get her in the box when she was in lay mode. It took a couple tries but finally got her locked in and she laid. This morning I found her laying in the nesting box on her own. Success! Thank you!