Silly hens using only one box to lay every egg

[gryeyes]

So normal it would be odd to discover somebody with hens who only use their "own" separate nest box.

I have 15 or so layers, moved to new property and installed a 10 hole nest box, they all checked it out, a few laid their eggs there, but in two nests, not different ones. Then the larger ladies found a corner under some steps, still inside the coop, to lay their eggs. I brought back a covered cat litter box and the most senior hens too that over.

Only newly laying pullets and a banty hen are now using the 10-hole nest box unit. The same two nests....

 

[de88ie]

glad to know!
I have several boxes and actually started taking out the one they do not use to give them more room to run around.
Just a moment ago there were 7 in one box. When I tried to look for eggs I found the smallest of the chickens under all the Red's.
There are no broken eggs but it looks funny to see them crammed into one box when there are several empty boxes.

If they are ok with it so am I.

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
Be very happy with that!

Ours free range and just started laying about a month or so ago. We have found one or two eggs a day in the nest boxes, lots in the straw bale, on the concrete driveway, behind the wood pile

Still searching for possible hiding places. Meanwhile they get to be locked in the coop a few more hours a day until they "get it".

 

[Manningjw]

We had the same issue with our hens using the same nest box. We have 9 hens. We put porcelain eggs in the nest boxes they never use and now they use every nest box(4 of them). The more porcelain eggs in the nest box the more likely they will lay there.