Not Laying in the nest box

[lilmarie84]

Yesterday I posted about one of my hens laying an egg in a water puddle well I removed the cause of the puddle and found out which hen laid it as of yesterday I have 5 hens that are currently laying and the culprit is my white rock yesterday was her first egg and I know that she is the one that laid it in the puddle but what I don't understand is why she isn't laying in the box

Here is how I figured out it was her the 1st one to lay every morning is my RSL around 9 am every day like clock work then it the leghorn, barred rock and my mix breed take turns as to who is next well today I found my white rock looked to be waiting in line for the the BR to finish in the box but when I went out there a few minutes later the BR was done and I went to get her egg to find the WR in the box next to the one the BR was in and then just now when I went out to check I found the egg in the same spot I found it in yesterday just minus the puddle both times she was in the nest box prior to laying the egg

is there any chance that its because of the dummy egg cuz would removing the dummy egg fix the issue

 

[J&Kfeatheredfowl]

my Friend had a problem with hens not laying the in the nestboxes, what bedding is on the floor, and what bedding is in the next boxes?

 

[Akrnaf2]

This a huge problem, I have chicken for years now, and I really can't say how they choose where to lay!
I have 7 hens and 8 nesting boxes, and this year they ALL decided to lay only in one! (That it really doesn't have any difference from the other. )There is always a commotion when they want to lay, and nothing that I did, could convince them to lay in the others.

 

[lilmarie84]

my Friend had a problem with hens not laying the in the nestboxes, what bedding is on the floor, and what bedding is in the next boxes?

its just dirt on the floor and pine shavings in the box

 

[J&Kfeatheredfowl]

its just dirt on the floor and pine shavings in the box

Oh okay, I’m not sure then, my friend had straw/hay on the floor and the hens thought ‘hey, that’s looks like a good nest’ so when they got rid of the hay and only had it in the nest boxes, they began to lay in what was now, the better nests my family has always had shaving in the floor and hay in the boxes

 

[cavemanrich]

Your answer is in your first paragraph. First egg yesterday, and second one today. She is still a preschooler at it. Just give her a little time and she will like the privacy of using a nest box. Leave the dummy egg in or just leave the eggs the other chickens lay in place. Collect eggs after some more are layed. Eggs do not need to be picked up after every chicken. Chickens will crawl into nest and are careful enough not to damage the existing ones there. (accidents do happen, but not all that often)
WISHING YOU BEST......

 

[lilmarie84]

I have 7 hens and 8 nesting boxes, and this year they ALL decided to lay only in one! There is always a commotion when they want to lay, and nothing that I did, could convince them to lay in the others.

I have 2 nest boxes 4 if you count the 2 in the small coop and I have 8 hens I currently only have 5 hens laying and the all use the same 2 boxes but the news one to laying is the WR she gets in and sets in the box as tho she is going to lay and stays there a bit but when the time comes for her to actually lay the egg she has laid it out of the box

 

[lilmarie84]

well an update on my white rock she had been laying her eggs in the box til today she laid it on the floor again today. I went out there to collect eggs and she was in the box well just now when I went out there to let them out cuz they had cooped up due to 3 hawks circling my yard and I found her egg on the floor and a leghorn egg in the box she had been sitting in so I have come to the conclusion that she will not lay in the box if there is one already in there she will make her self comfy but she will not lay the egg in the box unless the box is empty