Tractor nesting boxes - help!

[Bostonburbs]

Hi,

After a hawk attack and realizing that we just have too many hawks flying overhead all day, we have given up on letting our eight hens out and about. We have this great little tractor that they have been enjoying, but we have not finalized nesting box design. The tractor is only used as a sort of playpen during the day. No one is in here overnight. This is what we have right now, but there is no way they are going to lay in there without more privacy. What would you suggest we do to encourage laying? Right now, I am running around like a crazy lady anytime I see someone start pacing; bringing them back to the coop to lay, and then bringing them back when they are done.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Try putting a couple plastic dish pans in there with some straw/bedding.....they work great for a temporary fix and easy to clean!

 

[Bostonburbs]

We have shavings in there, and put the ceramic eggs in that we used when they were just starting to lay, but they want nothing to do with it. They hop in, and then hop back out. I am just wondering how “private” it needs to be, or what we need to change, or if it can be hard to train them to lay somewhere besides home. Thanks!

 

[hayley3]

Hi,

After a hawk attack and realizing that we just have too many hawks flying overhead all day, we have given up on letting our eight hens out and about. We have this great little tractor that they have been enjoying, but we have not finalized nesting box design. The tractor is only used as a sort of playpen during the day. No one is in here overnight. This is what we have right now, but there is no way they are going to lay in there without more privacy. What would you suggest we do to encourage laying? Right now, I am running around like a crazy lady anytime I see someone start pacing; bringing them back to the coop to lay, and then bringing them back when they are done.

That is super cute! Hard to tell but how do they get up there in the nest box?
And we are also in transition, so I let my chickens go in the front yard to let the grass in the other area rest and a couple chickens pace back and forth to get back there to lay their egg, and then a few others do the opposite, they want to go to the front yard to lay their egg. Some prefer a darker place, maybe.