Talk to me about nesting boxes

[chickengalcal]

Our pullets were hatched between February 1-4 and we got first egg yesterday, a huge shocker as I truly had no hopes of eggs until 24 weeks. Rainbow dash our EE is only 18 weeks old this week.

The nesting box was filled in because when we moved them outside around 10 weeks old, they kept sleeping in it, it's higher than the roosting bar, when we bought the coop we didn't realize this would be a problem, we were so new to chickens and just too excited about our backyard flock ha.
Ironically I had planned to remove the junk inside the nesting box today and figure out how to make a nest and encourage laying there, add a golf ball etc. thought I had lots of time to show them where they should nest. Of course she went and laid an egg yesterday much earlier than anticipated, so exciting to come home and find after a day at the amusement park with my kids. They have been checking the coop and run all morning in hopes of another egg today ha.

So now that she had laid inside the coop on the floor close to where they usually huddle and sleep together, how do I encourage her to actually use the box?
What should I put inside the box to make as a nest?
We currently have pine shavings on the coop floor, but I was thinking of switching to pellets (we use it for our cats litter box so I always have it on hand) as it is less dusty and messy IMO. Can I just use pine shavings in the nesting box or should j consider something they may not relate to pooping on, maybe I'm over thinking it ha. I've also added a golf ball.

This is our little coop, for 3 pullets, the original roosting bar is that low one, but we added another higher one recently but they like to sleep in that corner, usually one of the floor, one on the bar and one on the one on the floor, cuddled together. It's the cutest thing!

(The wires and black thing are an electric door opener on a timer thingamajig, we camp a lot through the summer and were concerned our tenant who checks on them might forget to let them out one morning before work when he leaves at 5am, so hubby rigged up door opener)

I'm sure these questions are asked a million times and I have googled
"How to encourage using the nesting box"
"What to put in nesting box" etc etc a ton but I would love to hear first hand from the people here.
Thank you!

 

[RumpShaker]

I too am curious about what's the best thing to put in the nesting boxes.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

You can use shavings. I use straw in my nests, but I've used shavings, shredded paper, dead leaves and grass clippings in the past. They didn't seem to prefer one over the other, so now I just use whatever I've got on hand or whatevers cheapest.
However, with the nests being higher than the roosts, they might go right back to sleeping in them when you open them up. If you can move the boxes down, you might consider it. Or, put something temporary in for now, like a milk crate or cardboard box. Sit it right on the floor and put your golf ball inside. Poopy eggs aren't pretty!

Congrats on that first egg, its a dandie!

 

[chickengalcal]

Straw seems like a great idea.
They didn't sleep in the nesting box last night so here's hoping they stick to their "trained" habit of sleeping on the floor and roosting bar. Oddly they don't want the higher bar right now ha. Silly girls. Before they went outside they started sleeping on the edge of their brooded box in our spare room, we used a giant pumpkin box from the grocery store, so much poop on the floor every morning ha. Non poopy eggs would be lovely. There is no way to lower the nesting box of squeeze a nesting box crate inside at a lower level it's a pretty small coop meant for about 4 hens, that's a kid/toddler size chair beside it.

 

[chickengalcal]

and thanks! We are crazy excited about our first egg, and it's impressive size!

 

[chickengalcal]

Knock on wood, me and the kids have been checking every couple hours since Saturday evening for another egg haha and she laid a teeny tiny one today.....in the nesting box, no "training" needed really. I did add a golf ball to it and every time I check the box it seems like someone has dug a little hole into the pine shavings, a nest I suppose but no poop in there and they have been sleeping in their usual spot!
We are just giddy. Today's egg is teeny compared to Saturday's but a regular shape unlike Saturday's almost tubular one!