Reason #565 to question laying box to hen ratios

[PartiPoodles]

All 5 other laying boxes are vacant…..just the one occupied with the 3 EE sisters. Lol.

 

[nuthatched]

Most important information regarding chickens you'll ever need to know:


1. They are nuts.
2. They love to drive you nuts.
3. They are nuts.

 

[Mrs. K]

If they start breaking eggs do to over crowding, try blocking off the favorite nest. Sometimes that will make them try more nests... but agree entirely with nuthatches!

Mrs K

 

[aart]

Put a fake egg in each nest.
Are all the nests identical in size and location?

 

[Party_Chicken]

I have a prefab coop and whenever I find this many hen in one box I take out a nesting box wall it works pretty well

 

[PartiPoodles]

Put a fake egg in each nest.
Are all the nests identical in size and location?

3 same size and location as the one they are bunched up in. The other 2 are on the outside of the coop only a few feet away from where they are in the pic. None of them have ever been broody and I’ve seen all 3 using the 2 outside boxes and even creating their own new nesting spots several times before for no logical reason. I’m starting to think there’s real science of some sort behind Nuthatched’s response. Lol

 

[PartiPoodles]

I have a prefab coop and whenever I find this many hen in one box I take out a nesting box wall it works pretty well

That’s a great option I hadn’t considered. Thanks for the idea!