The Nesting Box Refusal Saga

[scarboroughfairatl]

Hello fellow Chicken People,

I am about to give up. I have a Speckled Sussex hen who just REFUSES to lay in the nesting box. Out of the 4 hens she is the only one who won't lay in the boxes. It feels personal at this point. We've tried almost everything--we have wooden eggs in the boxes, have blocked off the areas she keeps trying to lay, etc. I put up a camera a few weeks ago to figure out who was guilty as well as to try and catch her in the act.

Now I have a saga of Chicken Cam footage to share and commiserate in the hilarity of the situation. Here are some pretty hysterical photos of her basically "flipping me the bird" for the past few weeks--if you'll pardon the pun.

Chapter 1) Flower pots in the corners.

Chapter 2) Then she laid in the poopy corners under the roost. More flower pots.

Chapter 3) Today was a good day. She laid in the box for the first time (and what I would soon learn to be the last)

Chapters 4-5) She actually flipped over the pot in the upper right corner. More naughty laying locations. More flower pots/boxes.

Chapter 6) I am out of flower pots. I have resorted to rocks from my garden. She seems interested...

Chapter 7) I give up. The determination it took to squeeze into that tiny space is as impressive as it is frustrating.

Chickens will be chickens I guess! Oof! I hope this post brings everyone a good laugh and helps any other frustrated chicken owners feel a little less alone at least.

 

[cavemanrich]

As long as the eggs are inside coop,,, I see no problem. It gets bad when they try to hide eggs somewhere in run,,,, or free-range area. I have found nests with quite a few eggs before. It is somewhat of a loss,,,,, (of eggs) I took those that I found,,, and boiled them up,,,,, and fed them back to the chickens. I know that I could have float tested them,,, and determine the fresh,,,, from the older ones. The eggs are not that much of an essential to my food supply,, so I just gave them to chickens.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[scarboroughfairatl]

Oh absolutely—I consider myself lucky that the eggs are in the coop! She’s just too funny with her sole protest of the boxes. Thanks for the warm welcome!

 

[Aunt Angus]

My ducks sleep in the coop with my chickens (in spite of having their own custom duckie house). They use the hens' boxes, too.

They decided to remodel and dug out and destroyed all my nesting pads. So I bought those washable ones made from fake grass. They don't like those, either. They drag them out and put all kinds of other stuff in the boxes. Grrr!

So this morning, I go in to clean, and I see that my duckies dug a nest in the middle of the coop floor and laid a couple of eggs there (they lay overnight bc ducks are party girls who rarely sleep). I was so happy! They left my nesting pads alone for once! Yay! So I left their little impromptu nest alone.

I went out after work this afternoon. Know what I saw? One of my broody hens plopped down in the impromptu nest, and my nesting pads all over the place again.

 

[scarboroughfairatl]

My ducks sleep in the coop with my chickens (in spite of having their own custom duckie house). They use the hens' boxes, too.

They decided to remodel and dug out and destroyed all my nesting pads. So I bought those washable ones made from fake grass. They don't like those, either. They drag them out and put all kinds of other stuff in the boxes. Grrr!

So this morning, I go in to clean, and I see that my duckies dug a nest in the middle of the coop floor and laid a couple of eggs there (they lay overnight bc ducks are party girls who rarely sleep). I was so happy! They left my nesting pads alone for once! Yay! So I left their little impromptu nest alone.

I went out after work this afternoon. Know what I saw? One of my broody hens plopped down in the impromptu nest, and my nesting pads all over the place again.

Oh noooo! That's SO frustrating! And after you keep investing in the good nesting pads too! I totally can relate--our boxes are lined with some pretty nice (and not 'cheep'!) pads, as well as fresh rose petals, lavender (mostly for my enjoyment, but you'd think they'd appreciate the effort!) etc. and yet the floor is so much more appealing.

 

[cavemanrich]

our boxes are lined with some pretty nice (and not 'cheep'!) pads, as well as fresh rose petals, lavender (mostly for my enjoyment, but you'd think they'd appreciate the effort!) etc.

Just a thought,,, ALL THAT may smell pleasing to humans,,,, but possibly not to chickens,