Our first egg & nest box question

[magikk]

Hey everyone,My wife just called & told me that she found our first egg.It was laid by sid one of our RIR's
She layed it in the corner of the small covered run rather than the nesting box.My nesting boxes are made using plastic milk carton's .The ones they ship milk in .We have straw & fake eggs in them.Do you think they are big enough?All of the birds are mixing together pretty well since we forced them to stay in the run all day.We stopped letting them free range because they wandered to far into the neighbors property.I have few more questions.We have a few Bantam hens & we wondered if they get mounted by a full size rooster if it would hurt them or not?Thanks Mike & Betty Jo

 

[Curlita]

I don't know about the bantam question, but as far as nesting boxes, I don't know that there is much rhyme or reason as to where they lay. Your milk crates are probably just fine, but someone has decided to pick her own spot to lay. The only thing I can suggest would be putting her in the nest box along with one of her eggs.

My first layer picked a corner of the run also. She has been laying there consistently. I tried putting a plastic storage bin in the same place with some straw in it, and she decided to lay in front of the bin instead. I think they might just make up their own minds about where to lay.

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

I can't say I'm and expert, however my hens seem to lay where they are most comfortable. They've laid in their nesting box...then when we had a black snake problem, they laid UNDER the coop, THEN we had a broody and they laid outside the coop in an open wood box.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I would think that a full size rooster and a bantam hen would be a no-win situation for the hen!

 

[Marlinchaser]

One thing I have found that MAY help, some hens are stubborn and will continue where they want, but if mine lay outside of the nest box, mess up the area that they decided was cozy.

It may or may not help but it does make me feel better knowing that if she dicides to lay in the same place again she will have to rebuild her nest.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
I dont think it hurts the bantam hen, but its probably a no win situation for the bantam Roo.

 

[magikk]

Hey everyone just thought I'd give an update.Yesterday we got our second egg.My wife was in the coop & noticed that Sid our RIR hen would go into the milk crates that I used for the nest boxes but couldn't turn around in them.So I guess they are to small for the bigger girls.I have to rebuild my nest boxes when I get the time.I threw something to gether last night in hurry.So we can get her to lay in the boxes rather than in the corner of the covered run.I think I'll still leave a milk crate or two for the bantams to lay in.I'd like to thank everyone for all the good info on this site.We've learned a lot in the last few months.I plan on getting some meat birds in the next week or so & some more egg birds to replace some of the roosters that we had to butcher.We've only had the chicks for a few months now but can't imagine not having them.They are alot of fun so thanks for making things easier with all the help.See you Mike & Betty Jo