So much for being nest box trained

[redoak]

Today I went to check for eggs and noticed outside the chicken coop in the lawn one of my ping-pong balls I use in the nest boxes to train the chickens. I bent down to pick it up and noticed an egg next to it. So much for the hens being trained to lay eggs in the nest boxes. I guess they are trained to lay next to any ping pong balls.

 

[hatchaholic]

I just wish mine would lay. Right now, I don't care where...LOL!

 

[debilorrah]

Get this - we have 6 hens and 6 nesting boxes. So someone today built a nest on top of a bale of hay and layed and the rest (4) layed in the same nesting box. Whatever.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:

I don't think you can truly train chickens. They pretty much operate on instinct, IMO. Over many decades people have just figured out what usually works with a chicken's natural instincts, then we think we trained them. They trained us, is more like it!

 

[redoak]

I'm putting a chicken door on the frig and putting the ping-pong ball in an open egg carton.

 

[Chicabee19]

That's hilarious redoak!

 

[redoak]

Ok that was a bad idea, they cleaned out the frig and pooped all over the place. Plus not one egg. I did find a couple more ping-pong balls, geez I wish my hens wouldn't mess with me like that.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Excellently funny!!!

 

[cmom]

Mine lay in the nest boxes. debiraymond, You have 6 birds and 6 nests. I have 3 per nest box. Rule of thumb is 3/4 per nest box. You can have 2 doz girls. Let the fun begin. Some times I have 2 or 3 birds in one box at a time. I have had 6 in one box at one time. Mine do favor certain nest boxes.

 

[Beekissed]

I have 10 nests for 8 hens...they all lay in the same nest. All the nests are identical. They will wait in line with their little chicken legs crossed and bouncing up and down...just to get on that one nest. Maybe the "seat" is cleaner on that one?