Strange (to me) nest box behavior

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Just chiming in to say it's pretty normal. I have four nest boxes, all the hens only use one. I swear they cross their legs and hang out waiting for the current hen to vacate the box. 

But, since I've been free ranging and have new layers, the new girls have decided the nest box isn't worth waiting for. They're laying in the garbage can with feed in it :/ , or the can with oyster shell. I've thought about re-training, but at least I know where to find the eggs so I'm not too worried about it. 

Silly chickens

 

[BBQJOE]

I have a number of nests in the coop. I have a separate that's attached to the outside of the coop with a door on the outside. It's dark, and more private, and it's all my 9 birds will use. I might have to add another to help stem the traffic jam.

 

[aart]

I'm betting fake eggs/golf balls will help more than curtains.
I keep them in all my nests and have moved them around and/or removed them,
they almost always pick the nests with fake eggs and ignore the empty nest(s).

 

[User395221]

I have a theory that they like it when there's a nice warm egg to sit on while they're doing their "thing".

 

[Spartan22]

@schroedpot I don't have much experience like you do and others here in BYC but WELCOME!
I'm only on my 2nd year with chickens but I sponged gobbled up as much info as I can. I now have 21 hens (10 first gen & 11 2nd gen). I do have 7 nesting boxes inside the coop (only 3 get used) and 3 nests in the run that I added last spring due to file up on the said nests. They used the nests in the run until October when weather started changing they automatically moved their laying inside. I have ceramic eggs in all of the nests.

Chickens will do what they want to do, like the little squabbles they always have @bedtime on perches, when there's more than enough perches for everyone (I got 3 roosting perches enough for 30++ birds)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm betting fake eggs/golf balls will help more than curtains.
I keep them in all my nests and have moved them around and/or removed them,
they almost always pick the nests with fake eggs and ignore the empty nest(s).

an egg in the nest means someone else thought it was safe enough to lay there.

 

[schroedpot]

The curtains are up, the ceramic eggs are in the offending nest. The results after one day: six eggs in the favorite nest, 2 ceramic eggs in the other one.

Chickens are pretty weird, but so are people. Why would I care whether they really like just one nest? As I think about it, I realize that if someone was trying to mess with one of my sacred daily routines, I probably wouldn't appreciate it either.

Go for it girls. Whatever floats your boat. And like Elsa, I'll just let it go.

Thanks for all the thoughts from this information-packed group!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's a good decision, never try to figure out why chickens do what they do.

 

[aart]

Quote: Yep, exactly!

I have 14 layers and 4 nests, spreading the eggs out amongst the nests using bait eggs makes for less swuabbling, fewer breaks, and most of all, cleaner eggs because they are not all trodding on all the eggs.

 

[sunflour]

The curtains are up, the ceramic eggs are in the offending nest. The results after one day: six eggs in the favorite nest, 2 ceramic eggs in the other one.

Chickens are pretty weird, but so are people. Why would I care whether they really like just one nest? As I think about it, I realize that if someone was trying to mess with one of my sacred daily routines, I probably wouldn't appreciate it either.

Go for it girls. Whatever floats your boat. And like Elsa, I'll just let it go.

Thanks for all the thoughts from this information-packed group!

and glad I didn't place money on my bet.