JS1 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I have ten chickens, eight of them laying, in a wooden house with two lovely Aubiose-filled nesting boxes and one Eglu with one nesting box. So why do all the hens queue up to use the Eglu nesting box?? Today there were three of them actually fighting over it while the other two nesting boxes were empty. I can only think it's something to do with position in the garden, because before we moved them last week it was the right-hand box in the wooden house which was most popular, although the other two were used. So that got me thinking: what is it that makes a particular nesting box the most desirable? And is there anything I can do make them spread their 'favours' more equitably? (I'm thinking smell of coffee, freshly baked scones, house plants....okay, not really, but would turning the house round so the boxes get more sun help??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Heh, move the eglu too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Your Feng shui (sp) is all wrong obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migsy Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I've recently been finding eggs in the cat carrier that I've left out in the garden. Mine don't seem to be that fussy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 They like to lay in dark places, maybe the wooden house gets too much light? you could move it around or hang a curtain of cloth/hessian two thirds over the box entrance to make it darker also double check the nest boxes for mites just in case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 I have two nesting boxes at the moment. Both are wooden but one is darker than the other and a little higher up. This is the one that pulls in the crowds to the point where I have had 3 hens sitting in there in a row and one further hen actually sitting on top of the other three. All the while the other nest box, that could take 3 girls, was just being used by one single hen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 They like to lay in dark places Well mine haven't read the chicken instruction manual. I bought another nest box for my Solway as Fearne always laid on the floor by the door, now they all argue over it and sit in there looking out the door so they don't miss anything . The dark box which is higher up is very rarely used now . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Can't work mine out at all as we have a Go and a Cube. They will fight to get in the Cube even though the Go is empty and vice versa. Some days all eggs are laid in the Cube, some days all in the Go and somedays like today it was halfy halfy All I know is that they won't share a flaming nestbox and you can guarantee it's worse at the weekend when the neighbouring noise complainers are trying to enjoy the garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 How funny that they are all so particular in their laying habits! I have 2 nestboxes in my wooden coop, and out of my 4 girls Queenie will only use the one on the left, Dorothy and Bella will only use the one on the right and Rosie prefers whichever one already has an egg in it. If no egg, or one egg already in each, she will choose whichever one looks comfiest on the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Mine sit in the nest box, of their cube, pretending to lay eggs for ages and then eventually come out, only for me to find nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JS1 Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 Hmm, might put a china egg in the wooden house.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwickens Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I have 8 nesting boxes in my coop (too many I now know ), and my 9 chickens either use a single nesting box or, more recently, a bed of stinging nettles just on the edge of the woods around our property! I'm going to try the idea of making some of the boxes darker. That may help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 more recently, a bed of stinging nettles just on the edge of the woods around our property! That must make collecting the eggs fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwickens Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 There have been a sting or two recently. I am hoping it will not become the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Last summer mine decided to lay in the trug in the shed!!! I work full time, first time they did it was at the weekend and then for a whole fortnight the waited until I got home from work and then literally ran the whole length of the garden and all rushed into the shed Was very impressive to watch, dont know how they held on all day and then I came home from work and had all started laying in the cube again. Nowt as weird as chooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
