What is up with these laying places?

[honda_DT]

I have 12 chickens and up until today i was getting 1 egg a day.(new chickens) Now 2 eggs, but the problem is the places that they are getting laid. For example the first egg was under the walkway from the coop to the run. Next was in the middle of the run, then the middle of the coop, then RIGHT infront of the coop door covered in poo

, then one in the back of the coop and another on the left side. I have 5 nest boxes filled with dry grass but none seems to want the lay in them.

Any help? also i am trying leaving the new eggs in the coop for a day but moving them up into a nest box.

 

[aggie9296]

mine figured it out eventually. did put golf balls in nests to remind them where to go.

 

[honda_DT]

Ok i will try that again thanks. the first time they still had no idea.

 

[Katydid2011]

Make sure your nesting boxes are in a quiet, dark place inside the coop and put plastic eggs or golf balls back in the nests and leave them there. I don't think there's a magical formula. In time they'll figure it out. I wouldn't leave the eggs in the coop because if they get broken your pullets will discover they're delicious and you'll have another problem on your hands.

 

[honda_DT]

Ok thanks, ill stop keeping the eggs in the coop for longer than needed but do the plastic purple and pink and red easter eggs work or will the chickens be like what the heck is this? i aint keepin no babies up in here!?

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I don't think chickens can differentiate color. I have all kinds of colored plastic easter eggs in the nest boxes: pink, purple, blue, green and yellow. They figured it out.

I do have a whole new batch of chickens who aren't at point of laying yet ... and during this past easter season, bought a whole lot more plastic eggs, including very small eggs to put in with my bantams.

Should be just fine. Remember that they like closed-in nests. I use small plastic cat kennels.

 

[honda_DT]

The golf ball worked!! Thanks!! Almost every egg so far is in one of the coops.