How to get chicken to lay in nesting box?

[Melky]

I have 4 pullets and one laying. She has laid 6 eggs in a weeks time. One in run and 5 in coop but not in nesting box. I know this is probably a frequent question of new layers but how do you get them to lay in the box? I have blocked boxes at night and opened them up during day. My egg layer is in afternoon late 3-5pm. I opened the boxes all day. I tried putting mulch in nesting boxes because she likes mulch in back of coop. I have two false eggs in the boxes. I took false eggs out. I have tried everything. Any suggestions for how to get her to choose the box? Thank you in advance!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Patience.

New layers often lay outside of the box. As more birds mature the boxes will become more inviting.

What size are the boxes? Are they raised off the floor?
If they are raised they need a spot to land in front of the box so they can check them out.

Here is a pic of my boxes. Note the little board in front of the upper boxes. They hop onto that before going in.

 

[Melky]

Mine are at floor level of raised coop.
Open box design. No top. Twelve inches wide. Plenty of space. Dividers between. Three boxes for 4 birds.

 

[Doc7]

My EE laid her first 6 eggs on the coop floor and now for weeks they’ve been 100% in the nest box.

I had golf balls in since chickens were 24 weeks old and still in now even though all 6 are laying in the boxes. I don’t see a reason to remove them.

 

[BlueEggsAndHam]

Do you have enough hay or bedding in the nesting boxes?

 

[Melky]

Do you have enough hay or bedding in the nesting boxes?

I think so but will add more just in case.

 

[RoosterML]

I agree with @21hens-incharge it's been awhile now but it took them a few weeks to figure out and use the nesting box, one day it's like something clicks and it's in the box. If starting to lay I would leave nest boxes open all the time. Put false eggs in nest boxes. They like privacy. I added curtains to mine.

 

[aart]

Pics of nests, please?

I'd leave fake eggs in 2 of the 4 nests.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Patience is often a great tool and often in short supply. It could come in handy here.

I personally don't worry that much about what the nests look like. Dad used open nests (no top). I've used both open nests and nests with a top. In my opinion its another one of those things people worry about more than the chickens do but some people have strong opinions about it. That's all my opinion is, opinion. Still a look at the nests might be helpful. Pictures are often good.

Some pullets have control of the egg laying process from the get go. They search out a good place to lay before they need it and start laying right there. Others seem to have no initial control of the process. They might drop the first egg or several eggs wherever they happen to be any time of the day or night. Maybe from the roosts or just walking around in run or coop. Sounds like you have one like that. But eventually (often pretty quickly but hopefully within two weeks) they figure it out. Egg laying is a pretty complicated process from when to release the yolk to start the process, getting the components right, and then actually laying the egg. It sometimes takes a bit for them to work all the bugs out of their egg making factory and system.

Is your pullet returning to the same spot each day to lay her egg? If so she has probably determined that is her nest. Normally they scratch out a depression when they do decide it is a nest. Where is it, out in the middle or sort of hidden along a wall or in a corner. Sometimes just a shadow is enough to make them think it is hidden.

Is where she is laying an acceptable location? Would putting a nest in that location be OK with you?

I am a strong believer in the power of fake eggs, but Aart once had a pullet that would not lay in a nest until the fake egg was removed. There is just no telling how an individual bird's brain will work. That's one reason we need to be flexible.

If you run out of patience with her or don't want her to show the others it's OK to lay there, I've had really good success in retraining them. When I have one consistently laying in a nest I don't want her to, I lock her in a real nest when I catch her on the nest she prefers. She stays in there until she lays her egg, usually about 30 minutes but I had a hen that took three hours. Usually once is enough but that three hour hen had to go in twice on consecutive days to get the message. That was one hard-headed Speckled Sussex. She was also a nest hog. Not only did she consistently take three hours to lay an egg she would not share that nest with another hen. Most of mine do share.

Since your nests are open-topped you'd need to build one you can lock her in if you try this. I made two of mine with a lock, that has come in handy for different things.

Good luck! This kind of stuff can be frustrating.

 

[Melky]

Im trying currently to do frequent checks to catch her sitting then stick her in the box. Today I thought I should stick her in early to see if she uses the nesting box. According to physical exam (external only) Goldie one of my Buffs could be the layer as pelvic bones feel two fingers apart. Everyone else seems closer one finger tip. No can’t use space she uses for egg nest as it is sleeping roosting space at night. It’s the back wall of my coop. She digs out a hole then lays egg on mulched area.