We put up our nesting boxes

[lswatson111304]

And they pooped in them. Will they lay eggs where they poop??? I've had them a week now, and still no eggs, my husband FINALLY built them nesting boxes, and well, you know...they didnt leave me eggs...Soooooo ok, yuck I guess I need to remove the poo?? HAHA And will they lay in there???

 

[jenikay63]

How old are your chickens? If they aren't close to 16 weeks, you could just block off the nesting boxes for awhile. My chickens used to go in the nesting boxes to sleep when they were younger and then they also pooped in them and made a big mess. I stapled heavy cardboard over the front of the boxes until the chicks were 16 weeks old. By that time they were used to sleeping on their roosts. The first egg came at 20 weeks. My girls pretty much just use the nesting boxes for laying and then leave. No poop in them and nice clean eggs.

 

[lswatson111304]

They are full grown, we bought them and they had been used as laying hens before we got them...so they should lay, seems they dont like me, or they have a sense of humor!!

 

[aussieheelr]

Do you have golf balls or fake eggs in there? That might help them to know "this is the egg place... no poopy in the egg place." Maybe?

 

[lswatson111304]

I dont, I'll try eggs. I actually had 1 egg in another box that was temporary. After being out there a few days...they crushed it! YIKES! LOL So I'll try to put an egg in the boxes, thanks!

 

[lswatson111304]

oh, lemme clarify, the real egg we placed in there was one that they had layed before we brought them home...so we thought it would work. Oh well, I'll do a fake egg.

 

[BantyRooster]

Are your boxes lower then their roost? If not it will help to have the roost higher than the nest.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Your roosts need to be higher than your nestboxes. A chicken naturally wants to go as high as possible to roost at night. If your nestboxes are higher, guess which they are going to choose.
Sometimes if they are already in the habit of sleeping in the nests, its necessary to go out to the coop at night and move them to the roosts. Use as little light as possible to do this, so they don't get up and start moving around. I use a penlight when I have to go to the coop at night.
Provide fresh bedding and fake eggs in the nests; golf balls will work. Collect any eggs you get as quickly as possible, to discourage egg eating which is a habit that is difficult if not impossible to break.
Finally, if you just got them they may not have settled in well enough to start laying again. It takes them awhile to get comfortable with new surroundings.