Chicken beds...why do all my hens want the same bed to lay? They all have straw and wood shavings--but they battle for the one bed. Why?

[aart]

So, the fact an egg is there implies some safety.

Exactly.
You can help 'spread the love' by leaving a fake egg or two in each nest.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Exactly.
You can help 'spread the love' by leaving a fake egg or two in each nest.

A golf ball works as well as a fake ceramic, wooden or plastic egg, and is less likely to fool the "chickrn tender." I don't see well at the best of times, so I went a step farther and purchased bright yellow ones!

 

[rosemarythyme]

If there is an egg in a nest then that egg has "survived" after being laid. In the wild, a lot of eggs don't. Predators find the nest and eat the eggs, and the hen if they get the chance. So, the fact an egg is there implies some safety.

This seems to be the main logic for using fakes - if the fake egg(s) "survive" being in a nest location, it must be a safe spot as another bird (even one that dispenses golf balls haha) used it.

Though I have one bird who doesn't want "eggs" in her nest box, so I keep one empty on purpose for her.

I'm sure there are added complexities.

Currently I care for four hens and a rooster. There are only two nest boxes in the coop and both are used by the three hens that are laying. While it seems from the numerous, often quite funny tales of nest box sharing, hens will lay in other nest boxes.

I find it interesting that flocks seem to one of two mindsets. They're either very willing and interested in sharing 1 or 2 nests to the point that birds stack up in the nests, or wait for a particular nest, no matter how many nests are offered OR they have zero interest in sharing and will simply shuffle down to the next available box.

My flock is the 2nd type. I have never had hens willing to share a nest, even though they're oversized. Nor do I see birds lined up. They always just move down to the next available box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

A golf ball works as well as a fake ceramic, wooden or plastic egg, and is less likely to fool the "chickrn tender." I don't see well at the best of times, so I went a step farther and purchased bright yellow ones!

Bonus with golf balls is you don't even need to look (though bright colored ones make sense if you just want to walk by and see if there's eggs at a glance). I can stick my hand under a hen in a nest and just feel for real eggs if needed.