How to Get Chickens to Lay in Nesting Boxes
A common question from backyard chicken keepers is, “How do I get my chickens to lay in nesting boxes?”
You’d think, at first, that this wouldn’t be an issue, right? After all, you’ve created a nice, safe, comfortable coop for them, and filled it with nesting boxes that are just their size. Any reasonable hen would be getting in line to lay their eggs in there!
Unfortunately, hens don’t always lay their eggs where we want them to, even when we’ve created a picture-perfect environment for them. This is especially true when you free range. And, getting chickens to lay in nesting boxes can take some work. Fortunately, there are several strategies you can use to encourage your chickens to lay their eggs in the right place.
Why Use Nesting Boxes?
Before we dive into nesting box training, you might be wondering why you need to bother with nesting boxes in the first place. After all, chickens are descended from wild birds and, if left to their own devices, will lay eggs in a nest they find or build. So, shouldn’t we just leave them to it?
Well, there are several good reasons why it’s important to provide your hens with nesting boxes inside the coop.
Safety
Chickens are a prey animal, and they’re very vulnerable when they’re laying eggs. Hens that lay eggs in the coop are safer from predators than hens that choose to lay somewhere else.
Save Time
Ya’ll, chickens are really good at hiding their eggs. I mean, really good. You will spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for eggs if they start laying outside the coop. And that’s time you could be spending doing something far more fun or productive.
More Eggs
You’ll get a lot more eggs when your chickens lay in nesting boxes than you will if they lay in their own secret spots. Eggs will be lost to predators like rats and snakes. Some will never be found. Some will go bad before you find them.
Will Chickens Lay in Nesting Boxes that are Recycled?
Here’s the thing: chickens need a safe place to lay inside the coop. But, this doesn’t mean you have to go out and spend a fortune on brand new nesting boxes.
You can easily build nesting boxes from old pallets, or upcycle items to serve as a nesting box. Some good examples:
- Milk crates
- Large buckets (like kitty litter buckets)
- Wicker baskets from the thrift store
- Plastic storage bins
- Large rectangular planting pots
- Feeding bowls or watering troughs for large livestock
I always try to reuse and upcycle when I can, and I’ve used all of these things in my own coop. Some of them worked, and some didn’t.
For example, my hens absolutely refused to lay in buckets, even though I read that many chicken keepers have had success with them. They didn’t like the milk crates. The rectangular flower pots, the feeding trough, and the plastic storage bins are all popular.
So, feel free to experiment! Upcycling items to use as a nesting box is a great way to consume less and save money. Just make sure that whatever you use is at least 12″ x 12″ x 12″.
How to Get Chickens to Lay In Nesting Boxes
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Use Fake Nesting Box Eggs
One of the easiest ways to get your chickens to lay in nesting boxes is to use fake nesting box eggs. Fake eggs give hens, especially hens that are about to start laying for the first time, a visual clue to where they’re supposed to lay. And, they often work really well.
Fake nesting box eggs can be made of ceramic or wood. The ones I initially purchased for my own flock were ceramic, but if I were to buy them again I’d definitely go with wood. The ceramic eggs ended up breaking as the years went by, and wood would last forever.
You can also do what Lisa Steele with Fresh Eggs Daily did and paint some egg-shaped stones to look like eggs. I think hers turned out beautiful!
Add Calming Herbs
Calming herbs like lavender, lemon balm, catnip, or chamomile can help your hens feel more relaxed in the nesting boxes. These herbs can be especially helpful for younger hens who are checking out the nesting boxes for the first time and are a bit unsure about this whole “egg laying” thing.
You can also add herbs to repel pests and promote egg laying. Fennel, mint, and parsley are all great herbs for nesting boxes.
If you grow these herbs at home, make sure you harvest and dry them throughout the growing season so you have plenty to use during winter and early spring.
Make Sure Nesting Boxes are Clean
Nesting boxes will get dirty over time, especially if your chickens start sleeping in the nesting boxes (which is a bad habit you need to stop ASAP if it starts.)
Make sure the nesting boxes have fresh, clean bedding like pine, straw, or nesting box liners. If an egg is broken in the nesting box, throw out the bedding and clean the inside as quickly as you can. Natural cleaners work best! Try mixing 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (ACV) to 10 ounces of water. You can also add a couple drops of lavender essential oil to relax your girls.
Dirty nesting boxes attract mites and rodents, and your hens won’t want to lay in boxes that aren’t clean or could attract predators.
Don’t Free Range Until Afternoon
Most hens will naturally lay their eggs between the hours of 10-2. Of course, you’ll have some hens that want to lay before the sun’s up, and some that want to wait until late afternoon. However, most hens lay during the middle of the day.
If you normally free range, you can force your hens to lay in the coop by keeping them penned up most of the day and only letting them out after 3:00 or 4:00.
I’m actually doing that with my flock today. I normally let them free range all day but, right now, I have all my chickens penned up in the coop and little enclosed run. I currently have 35 chickens (with more on the way) and lately have only been getting 3 to 4 eggs a day in the coop. 🤔
For whatever reason, everyone all of a sudden decided that there was a new hot laying spot on the homestead. And, they ditched the coop like we ditched Milli Vanilli when the world found out they were lip syncing (I’m still stung by the betrayal.)
So, the chickens are in lock-down every day until they rediscover how very awesome the coop is for laying eggs. Because I just don’t have the time or the inclination to go out hunting for eggs when it’s tick season and 90+ degrees out.
Have Enough Nesting Boxes
If your chickens won’t lay in the nesting boxes, maybe you don’t have enough! It could be that the nesting boxes are full when someone wants to lay, so they’re forced to go somewhere else.
You need one nesting box for every 3 to 4 chickens. However, keep in mind that even when you provide more than enough nesting boxes some of them will still end up jostling for the same nesting site.
Block Illegal Nests
Once your hens start laying somewhere they’re not supposed to, everyone will want to do it. Those chickens will be waiting in line to lay in the new spot and, as a result, you’ll get fewer and fewer eggs in the coop. Eventually, you’ll likely get none at all.
When you do find an illegal nest, collect the eggs and do whatever you can to block the area. Put a box where they’ve been laying, mess up the nest, cover it with a cinder block…whatever you have to do to make it as unappealing as possible.
The Water Test for Eggs
If you suspect the eggs are old, use the water test to make sure they’re still safe to eat.
Fill a large mixing bowl with water and put the eggs in there one at a time. If the egg sinks to the bottom and lies on its side, it’s fresh and safe to eat. If it stands on one end, it’s a few weeks old and still edible (but you need to eat it soon!) Eggs that float need to be tossed out, as they’re too old to eat.
Put Chickens About to Lay In the Nesting Boxes
This technique takes a bit of watchfulness on your part, but it can be effective with stubborn layers who insist on laying in secret spots.
Once you’ve discovered a chicken’s secret laying spot, keep an eye on it to see who goes in there to lay. Once a hen has settled into the secret spot to lay her egg, pick her up and put her inside a nesting box. Use your body to block her in and keep her in the nesting box for at least a few minutes.
Once you think she’s gotten the picture, slowly walk away. If she hops down, pick her back up and put her in the nesting box.
You might have to do this a few times, but eventually she’ll settle down to lay her egg. Hopefully after one day she’ll get the picture, but you might have to do this a few days with some hens.
Check for Predators
Sometimes, hens will stop laying in nesting boxes because they feel unsafe. This is usually because of a predator, like a rat or snake.
Make sure your coop is secure so that predators can’t get in to eat eggs. And keep in mind that this is easier said than done! You need to cover holes larger than .5 inches with hardware cloth.
Last Word
It doesn’t matter if you build a 5-star coop with downy-lined nests for your flock…eventually at least one of them is going to find somewhere else to lay. And if you let your chickens free range, this new spot could be impossible to find!
Training your chickens to lay in nesting boxes is definitely worth your time. In most cases, all you’ll need to do is throw some fake eggs in there and call it a day. However, there will be times when your girls get creative and decide to lay somewhere else. Strategies like keeping them locked up, checking for illegal nests, and adding calming herbs to the nesting boxes will encourage them to lay where they’re supposed to!
