The girls started laying pretty much anywhere but the nest boxes....any ideas?

Posted by Shelly Martin on October 4, 2010 at 11:42pm

I have 5 hens...at least 3 are laying. They are laying in the run and in the coop...pretty much everywhere but the nesting boxes.   I don't know if they have ever been in the boxes.  I was trying to make the nests appear "nest like" so I used small openings...large enough for entry but not exactly advertising their existance.  Two nesting boxes are 18 inches high and two are 36 inches high.   I also put a 6 inch 2X4 in front of each box for a landing.  Is the landing too small?  Any suggestions?   The boxes are 15 X 12 and I have 2 EE, a Wel, Op & RIR.  I did put a couple golf balls in each nest.

 

Thanks!

 

Shelly 

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Replies

  • Shelly Martin October 5, 2010 at 2:14pm
    The opening is not big enought to see the golf balls, maybe the lip is too high, it's about a 5- 6 inch drop down from the landing. I thought with nesting materials that would be ok....not sure? I'm worried that the landing is just not big enought or is too close to the wall....what do you think? Would a ramp help? Should I make the openings larger? I also thought about adding either a 2X2 or 2X4 connecting the landings and providing another few inches of clearance from the wall?

    I'm also concerned I might have made a mistake by putting the nesting box on the west side of the coop?

    P.S. Had to include a photo of the girls....

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  • Shelly Martin October 5, 2010 at 2:04pm
    Here's the boxes....

    IMG_7706.JPG

    IMG_7710.JPG

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    https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/5021535275?profile=original
    • Ericka > Shelly Martin October 10, 2010 at 8:46am
      Not sure, but in your photo I see only one roosting perch and it is pretty much lower than your nest boxes. I think roosting perches need to be higher than the nesting boxes, maybe Rachel and Chris can verify this.

      You may have other roosting areas in your coop that are not in your photos, but something to consider.
  • Rachel October 5, 2010 at 8:05am
    How small is the opening? Is it big enough that they can see your golf balls? If you have any plastic easter eggs, maybe you could add those, though golf balls are usually good enough. If they were all 36" high, I would guess that was part of your problem, but since they aren't using the 18" high ones, it's obviously something else. Can you post a picture of your coop showing the nest boxes?
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