# Roosting boxes



## bouie55 (Sep 22, 2012)

Why are my chickens not laying eggs in the roosting boxes?


----------



## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Do you mean Nesting boxes? Nesting boxes are for laying eggs in, They should roost on a wooden pole, 2x2, or an actual tree limb. Two totally seperate locations, unless you want poop on your eggs all the time..


----------



## bouie55 (Sep 22, 2012)

Yes I mean nesting boxes! We do have roosts for them! They are laying them on the floor. It was the first eggs we got


----------



## chickflick (Sep 23, 2012)

Try putting fake eggs in the nesting boxes so they know that's where they are suppose to lay. They should get the hint.


----------



## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Golf balls even work in a pinch..


----------



## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

I agree with the wooden eggs or the golf balls in each nest. Works like a charm ...


----------



## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

mine layed rite under the nest box or out in the run for the 1st couple of weeks
then they figured it out & now a month later they are always in the box where they belong


----------



## Lady_Alia (Jul 11, 2012)

Most of my girls lay in the box but occasionally I'll still find one on the floor or in the run. I'm ok with it. It's like Easter, I gotta find all the eggs and don't know where they'll be ;-)


----------



## bouie55 (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you all for your suggestions I will try putting golf balls in the boxes!!


----------



## carolyn28 (Sep 21, 2012)

Make sure the next boxes are a bit private with some fluffy hay. Many production birds though, haven't a bit of maternal instincts and don't care where they plop their eggs so putting a few eggs into a nest box will often jog any shred of mothering and they will pick it the idea.


----------



## Willy (Sep 14, 2012)

Ours were doing good in the nesting boxes until I put a couple extra flakes of wheat straw on a low shelf in the chicken coop to keep it dry. Now some of them lay there instead.

I still don't know where the Americana's are laying. We got a couple eggs out of them when I had them in the pen with the bantys, but since I turned them out with the yard chickens, we got one egg a couple of weeks ago and that's it.


----------



## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Willy said:


> Ours were doing good in the nesting boxes until I put a couple extra flakes of wheat straw on a low shelf in the chicken coop to keep it dry. Now some of them lay there instead.
> 
> I still don't know where the Americana's are laying. We got a couple eggs out of them when I had them in the pen with the bantys, but since I turned them out with the yard chickens, we got one egg a couple of weeks ago and that's it.


maybe you can pen them back up & train them to lay just in the nest boxes. if not i would have to put em in the pot. around here everything has to pull it's own weight or it goes away, but that's just me 

good luck
piglett


----------



## chickflick (Sep 23, 2012)

You need to keep the hens in the run/coop for a few days so they know where they are suppose to lay their eggs. Put some fake eggs in the nests and keep them in the run and make sure there is no where they can lay their eggs there. They will learn that's where to lay the eggs.


----------



## BootedBantam (Aug 31, 2012)

My birds are roosting in the boxes I made. I think because of how I built it, they like to be high in the corner. I hope when and if the house gets built they will learn to nest in there. Wondering if I should should just built another box to leave in there until house is built. Any thoughts?


----------



## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Yes, that was my though. Just provide something else.


----------



## dpappas319 (Jun 26, 2012)

Does the size of the heating box really matter. Can it be two big.


----------



## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Nest boxes? Yes they can be too big. They don't need to be very big at all, 12x12 is fine. But they do need to provide some privacy and also allow air flow, ventilation is important for the hens especially in the summer time.


----------



## dpappas319 (Jun 26, 2012)

cogburn said:


> Nest boxes? Yes they can be too big. They don't need to be very big at all, 12x12 is fine. But they do need to provide some privacy and also allow air flow, ventilation is important for the hens especially in the summer time.


Thank you very much.


----------



## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

cogburn said:


> Nest boxes? Yes they can be too big. They don't need to be very big at all, 12x12 is fine. But they do need to provide some privacy and also allow air flow, ventilation is important for the hens especially in the summer time.


 i have boxes that are about that size for my buff orpingtons, however my black english orpingtons are much bigger birds so for them i'll build some that are about 16"x16"


----------

