Not laying in nest boxes!!

[blueberrychickens]

I have 17 chickens, 7 are 2+ yrs old, the rest are this springs hatches, most of the 2+ yr old girls don't lay eggs regularly. It's the younger kids who are giving me problems with laying eggs. Out of the 10 kids, only about 5 are laying, & they dont always use the nest boxes. I just don't get it. Today I found on of my FBCM in the middle of the coop, laying in the shavings, making her nest. All 3 nestboxes were empty & hadn't been used yet today. The FBCM then layed the egg in the shavings! My Salmon Fav will lay her eggs in the shavings too in the other coop.(the other coop doesn't have a nest box in it) Sometimes I will find eggs laid just inside the pop door! Why are they laying them everywhere but in the nestboxes????
They are driving me nuts having to look for eggs everyday!!!
It's not like the nest boxes are over crowded since all the chickens aren't laying yet. Should I add more boxes??? I don't get it!

 

[aoxa]

Golf balls in nest boxes.

Easiest way to train your hens

Chicken see - chicken do.

 

[GatsbysGirl]

I just tried the golf ball trick. Mine were laying in the middle of the coop and the corners. Yesterday put the golf balls in the nesting boxes, today eggs in nesting boxes!

 

[longlegz86]

I have one box with a golf ball...its the only box they will lay in!!! Looks like I need more balls

 

[longlegz86]

Golf balls in nest boxes.
Easiest way to train your hens

Chicken see - chicken do.

X2

 

[blueberrychickens]

I guess I just figured the younger girls would have learned by seeing the older girls in the boxes. Guess I'll have to break out the golf balls!

 

[featheredmom]

Funny story...

My girls are established layers, they had the golf balls, laid in the boxes, we figure they are all good so we took out the golf balls....we had eggs in the corner until we gave them back their golf balls. Crazy chickens!! We now know not to take away the golf balls unless we want to pick up eggs from all over the coop!!

 

[aoxa]

Funny story...

My girls are established layers, they had the golf balls, laid in the boxes, we figure they are all good so we took out the golf balls....we had eggs in the corner until we gave them back their golf balls. Crazy chickens!! We now know not to take away the golf balls unless we want to pick up eggs from all over the coop!!

Good thing you don't have little kids around stealing your golf balls! That gets annoying..

 

[groverlvchx]

I had three little fake easter eggs (painted rocks--pink, blue, yellow) in the nesting boxes while waiting for my pullets to start laying. The first egg (three days ago) went in the nesting box, so I removed the fakes. Since then NONE have been in the box. I'm going to get some golf balls and they will be permanent residents of the nesting boxes! This morning was the last straw. Two eggs destroyed by the stampede to get out of the pop door this morning. I'm glad to know what to do about it--thank you!
carol

 

[chefman4u2]

I have 27 Americana's that are 27 weeks and about half of them are laying. I had one large nesting box for my 2 older girls and I built a six nest standard size for large breed box but they all seem to want to use the larger old box, but 12 chickens will not fit at the same time. I put golf balls in the other six boxes and they push the balls and the pine shavings out of the boxes and lay in the dirt. I'm thinking about trying some plastic eggs...any ideas?