Chicken Nesting

[Alan W.]

Built a new coop for my chickens with outside accessible nest boxes. The chickens would just scratch the straw out of the boxes and nest on the floor of the coop. Now I purchased two ceramic eggs from TSC and redid two of the nesting boxes with a ceramic egg in each today. Yes I was shocked that TSC actually had them in stock. So far they have not scratched out the nest. Time will tell ifn it works. Anyone had this problem before or try this remedy?

 

[pmsmechanic]

Change your nest boxes so that they are in a darker area during daylight hours. It helps with the broodiness and it keeps them from eating the eggs. If you want them to nest and raise chicks you need at least one rooster.

 

[Alan W.]

Change your nest boxes so that they are in a darker area during daylight hours. It helps with the broodiness and it keeps them from eating the eggs. If you want them to nest and raise chicks you need at least one rooster.

The nest boxes are in the darkest area of the coop. Havent ever had a problem with egg eating. One hen was a little tough on the eggs when she went broody.
The old coop didnt have nest boxes. They just made a nest where they wanted and I guess being creatures of habit that's what they still want to do.
I have a rooster, that was hatched in a homemade incubator, from some donated eggs. He hates red buckets. No problem with my blue or gray ones but he will attack the red ones. Wife will not go in the pen area after seeing him attack a bucket.

 

[Looking4new]

I put golf balls in the nest boxes and they layed where I wanted them to.

 

[Alan W.]

Just came back from the coop. Nest boxes emptied, ceramic eggs threw everywhere. No sanctity for fake life whatsoever. Nest built on the floor where they wanted it and laid in.
This aint over, I wont give up and admit defeat.

 

[reb]

Used to raise chickens. Somehow a peach pit ended up in a nest box. The next day we found a small egg, about the size of that peach pit. I had an inspiration--I put one of those Leggs eggs (maybe you remember those things from the '70s; they were about 4" or 5" long) in the nest box. Didn't work.

 

[kenmac]

Just came back from the coop. Nest boxes emptied, ceramic eggs threw everywhere. No sanctity for fake life whatsoever. Nest built on the floor where they wanted it and laid in.
This aint over, I wont give up and admit defeat.

They don't like your boxes. LOL..
My laying boxes are metal. I built a little larger box and put shavings in it. They will lay in all the boxes.
For some reason, Some will lay in the same box others have laid in..
Every now and again, one will just lay on the ground somewhere. I guess she gets the urge and can't make it to the box. At times, she'll lay in one one the laying boxes though.

I use pine shavings you can buy at TSC, or wal mart, and put golf balls in the boxes

 

[tjkubota93]

The nest boxes are in the darkest area of the coop. Havent ever had a problem with egg eating. One hen was a little tough on the eggs when she went broody.
The old coop didnt have nest boxes. They just made a nest where they wanted and I guess being creatures of habit that's what they still want to do.
I have a rooster, that was hatched in a homemade incubator, from some donated eggs. He hates red buckets. No problem with my blue or gray ones but he will attack the red ones. Wife will not go in the pen area after seeing him attack a bucket.

Sorry, this is pretty funny. Stuff like this is why I keep putting off chickens (and all the fox, coyotes and hawks i see). Seems like it can take up alot of your time.

 

[kenmac]

Sorry, this is pretty funny. Stuff like this is why I keep putting off chickens (and all the fox, coyotes and hawks i see). Seems like it can take up alot of your time.

I only have 8 hens, no rooster. I originally bought mine for the grand kids.
They are no more trouble than a dog, cat, etc,. I find them actually no trouble at all.

I have an auto watering system, 30 # auto feeder I fill every 3 weeks

My pen is totally fenced in with top covered for those owls and hawks. Probably 30'x30' with 10' top

 

[Stancoll]

The nest boxes are in the darkest area of the coop. Havent ever had a problem with egg eating. One hen was a little tough on the eggs when she went broody.
The old coop didnt have nest boxes. They just made a nest where they wanted and I guess being creatures of habit that's what they still want to do.
I have a rooster, that was hatched in a homemade incubator, from some donated eggs. He hates red buckets. No problem with my blue or gray ones but he will attack the red ones. Wife will not go in the pen area after seeing him attack a bucket.

Egg eating-calcium deficiency- buy and feed crushed oyster shells