When we got our first batch of chicks, I wondered if they would figure out the nest boxes on their own when they got to laying age. As they grew into young adults, the pullets completely ignored the boxes and we started finding a few eggs on the floor. One morning when I was in the coop, Clarence, the more dominant Andalusian rooster, suddenly called all the hens over. While they crowded 'round in an attentive semi-circle, he went into a full-on performance beside one of the boxes: bowing, bobbing his head, looking from the hens to the box and tutting earnestly. Then he climbed into the box, lectured some more, and started pulling up pieces of straw and showing them to the hens. He held them captivated for ten full minutes with this production.
The next day, there were eggs in the box. Guess he got his point across!
The next day, there were eggs in the box. Guess he got his point across!