When to add the nest boxes??

I put my boxes in when they were 16 weeks old. They inspected them, but never slept in them. I filled each box with wood shavings - make sure you have a lip on the front of the box so it doesn't get pushed out. I also placed a golf ball in the center of each box. My chickens are 32 weeks and I've had every egg land in the nexting boxes.

 

I put my boxes in when our flock turned 17 weeks old. Added golfballs (as fake eggs) as soon as I added the boxes, to give the gals a clue.

The 3 Mottled Cochins use the boxes but our EE, Goldie, would rather lay her eggs on the floor, in the pine shavings. Going to TSC tonight to get her a bag of smaller pine shavings, since she apparently doesn't like the hay. Spoiled, I tell ya!

Dawn

 

we added our boxes late our girls were already laying, but i finally added the boxes and the girls havent dropped anywhere but the boxes since.

 

I put mine up but blocked the entrances till ready to start laying, then opened them up for chickens to investigate. I also used wood shavings, but anything thick enough to protect egg when it drops will work as said above have enough of a lip that all the bedding does not get pushed out.