When I had sand in the coop she used the nest box just fine...

[Jenny1]

then I got rid of the sand and put in some grass (you know those plants that are just a big clump of long grass? I cut that down and threw it in the coop. I figured it was sorta like straw). Now, she wont lay in the nest box....
Suggestions?

 

[Jenny1]

??? Anyone???

Hmmm.. that emoticons migth be a bit much for the problem, but no body answered my question!

 

[mickey328]

What did you have in the nesting box before? Some are quite fussy as to what they like in there.

 

[Jenny1]

That same grass. She never seemed to care...

 

[CluckyCharms]

Maybe she's confused because that same grass is now on the floor and in her nesting box so she's like...

I think removing the grass you replaced the sand with....maybe remove it and give her sand back. =/ Either that or maybe replace the grass that is in the nesting boxes with some sort of other nesting material so there is a difference between that and the floor.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

My coop had been sand with straw in the nesting boxes. I removed the sand and replaced with pine shavings last week. I left the nesting boxes straw so as to not upset them.

I've got no insight as my girls did fine, they continued to lay in the nesting boxes. Except for one hen - she apparently loves the pine shavings and has begun making a nest in them next to the nesting box. Beautiful round bowl of a nest, would love to actually watch her do it.

Maybe the materials between the coop and nesting box have to be different for your girls to be happy. You might want to put straw or shavings in the nesting box since the coop is now grass, too. These little creatures have strange preferences and idea's, don't they?

 

[mickey328]

Got that right, mtnlaurl...who knows what goes on in their little chicken brains?

Where does she lay now, Jenny? If the bedding in the box hasn't changed, she may have suddenly just taken a dislike to the box. You might try experimenting with some different things in the box and see if she takes to something different.

 

[Jenny1]

She makes a cute little round nest with the grass on the floor right next to the box.

 

[mickey328]

Hmm...sounds like she just decided she didn't like the box. Maybe try putting something where she's making her nest? When we first got our girls, we put a Rubbermaid dishpan in the cage for them to use. Maybe something like that would at least keep her nest "contained".