Pullets not laying in nesting boxes.......HELP!!!!!

[kguinness76]

I call upon the knowledge of the backyard chicken community. I have 5 birds you are relatively new at laying, I have 3 EEs that started about a month ago, and 2 BOs that started about a week ago. I know this post might be premature, but I can not get them to lay their eggs in the nesting boxes. Let me explain, when the EEs started to lay we were ill prepared, and had not yet made the nesting boxes, so I spent a week searching for eggs. We got the nesting boxes done as soon as possible. I expected them to take a bit of time, but after a week I put a ceramic egg in a couple of the boxes, still nothing. Today, I kept them in the coop and all of the nesting material was out of the boxes so they know they are there, but no eggs were in the boxes. I painted the inside of the boxes white to reflect more light in the winter. I have put both pine shavings and then added hay to it, still nothing. I would really like to avoid crawling under the coop to retrieve eggs with snow on the ground, please tell me how I can get them to lay eggs where they are suppose to.

Thanks

Momma Hen KJ

 

[jaredthefox]

For me I sacrafice real eggs to get a hen to lay where I want. For example.

I just got a pair of SLW. The hen was laying all over the ground. One day it got 110 here and the egg was so hot I couldn't really hold it because it had set in the sun so long.

I put 4 eggs where I wanted her to lay eggs. The next day she laid her egg in that spot. I left those eggs in there for 5 days. Took 2 out at the 5 day Mark because the eggs were growing lol. I popped them in my incubator. Left 2 eggs in there a few more days. Than took all the eggs out. She still lays her eggs in that spot. I find a couple eggs work best in a spot that you want them to lay vs 1 egg.

I also think that's why most hens fight over 1 box. See an egg lay an egg

 

[ChickenMammX4]

What is your nesting box set-up like? Can you post a pic? Ours wouldn't lay in the boxes until we made some changes. There might be something that's not to their liking.

 

[growsaposy]

I have the same number of hens and they were laying just fine in one of the 3 nesting boxes we have set up with hay and chips. Then it got hot, really hot, and I thought they stopped laying. Wrong! They didn't like the 120 degrees in the coop and so laid in a cooler place in the shade. I found 16 eggs-- they were way ahead of me. Now I know where their alternate nest is I will refurbish it to make it avaliable when it's very hot. Wish I could figure out how to cool the coop. There is a little fan, but it hardly helps, so they get to free range and lay in their "cool" nest. Good luck with your problem!
Barb

 

[kguinness76]

Thank you all I put two eggs in all of the nesting boxes today to start with. I am posting pictures of the nesting box area as well as the area they tend to lay outside under the coop. I know the coop averages 10 degrees lower then the outside temp. I do not have a thermometer in the nesting boxes themselves or under the coop but the area the boxes are in stay in the shade most of the time because of the roof overhang and a small deck above it. I am keeping the birds inside for the rest of the weekend it is suppose to rain anyway, any other hints would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[newmarch2014]

I have the same number of hens and they were laying just fine in one of the 3 nesting boxes we have set up with hay and chips. Then it got hot, really hot, and I thought they stopped laying. Wrong! They didn't like the 120 degrees in the coop and so laid in a cooler place in the shade. I found 16 eggs-- they were way ahead of me. Now I know where their alternate nest is I will refurbish it to make it avaliable when it's very hot. Wish I could figure out how to cool the coop. There is a little fan, but it hardly helps, so they get to free range and lay in their "cool" nest. Good luck with your problem!
Barb

I have the egg boxes that have the external access from the front of the coop with a hatch roof that lifts up to gather eggs, I put a piece of wood (though I have said for months that I need to just put a couple temporary screws in to hold the tops up a few inches. This allows a nice breeze through or at least to let out the heat the hens bodies produce to make it more comfortable for them.

 

[kguinness76]

That is a good point, maybe that is why the scratched out most of the nesting material. I will have to see if I can rig something this weekend, that allows a cross breeze. It would allows have to be able to prevent predators from entering too.

 

[newmarch2014]

That is a good point, maybe that is why the scratched out most of the nesting material. I will have to see if I can rig something this weekend, that allows a cross breeze. It would allows have to be able to prevent predators from entering too.

Yes, I don't have the predator problem, all I have to do is keep out 2 of my dogs and they keep everything else out. But if I did need to I would cut a removable panel in the front and cover it with hardware cloth, that way I could put the panel back in during winter here (we have very hot summers and very cold winters here in Utah).

 

[BeachMomma]

Have you tried putting a container, like a sink dish pan/tub, in the nesting area? It's just an idea worth trying to make the girls feel their eggs are safe.

I bought 2 cheap regular sized ones to put in the nest area and stacked them so it wasn't easily tipped over. It took one of my girls about a day to start laying eggs in it. The bonus of using the sink tubs is if there's a shelless egg or other mishaps I can just pull the whole thing out and spray it down since it's plastic.