Silly hens using only one box to lay every egg

[FlowerFarmer]

My four free ranging chickens have all been laying inside the same box. There are four nesting boxes in the coop; one for each bird, yet they insist on using the same one. They will even wait OR pile in and use it together. It's really silly!

I was wondering if anyone else notices this behavior...

I've never found an egg anywhere else than in this specific box. There's plenty of room ladies. Four big boxes!

These egg shells are very hard, but I wonder if they could be cracked when stepped on by a joining layer. Could lying on a few eggs while laying cause a hen to show broodiness? I've noticed my buff orpington taking quite a while in there lately

(I know so many questions...)
ANY THOUGHTS?
THX

 

[blueberrychickens]

yup, very common, I have 8 hens & I'll often find all eggs laid for the day in one box. Once in a blue moon there will be a broken egg in the next box, just had one last week in fact, what a mess!!! I have seen them pig pile in one box too. Silly silly chickens!! Oh & I have 3 boxes for them to use.

 

[cat1994]

Usually you really only need one nest box per four hens b/c they like to share, mine only lay in one box even though they have 4 boxes and I have 6 hens, as long as you make sure the eggs shells are strong and that you collect them as soon as possible they should not get broken that often. When a hen sees a nest box full of eggs it can cause the hen to go broody.

 

[Bravo]

Aren't they strange creatures?!? It cracks me up that there is only 1 super fabulous nesting box that is worthy of their egg deposit and they feel the need to wait in line to use it opposed to using the other, vacant ones LOL

 

[Fred's Hens]

This is normal. Up to 10 hens use a single box, virtually every day. This is part of the chicken's rigid social structure we don't fully understand, but it absolutely what they do.

 

[MichenerFarm]

We have 8 nesting boxes yet this is what we see every single day

 

[tarragon]

 

[Bleenie]

I had to build this *special* box just for my hens and they still refuse to use it, they all lay their eggs in #2 duck box or the box in the private coop.

 

[Jeffross1968]

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LOL, hilarious!

 

[FunnyFarmMomma]

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