[mebnandtrn]

We are new to chickens, so please excuse the daft question.  We bought 5 hybrid POLs a few weeks ago, they settled in and started laying, initially anywhere.  Having read about this problem we left an egg in each of the 2 nesting boxes and within a day or 2 they all laid every egg in the nesting boxes.  So far so good!  Then we added 4 more chickens, same breed, similar age but not yet started laying.  Now we have some eggs in the nesting boxes and some in the straw on the floor of their house, where they take time to build a straw nest!.  Its like the new ones have confused the old ones!  We are leaving one egg in each nesting box, but they are not learning! Its not the new ones laying, its the original chickens laying in the straw on the floor.  Any ideas please would be very useful as its getting a bit frustrating!  Many thanks.

[bloomer]

are the new ones sleeping in the nest boxes, (obvious by amount of poop) that can put birds off...


i often find i have to teach new stock to use the perches (and one old light sussex who has to be moved every day)

[mebnandtrn]

They are all sleeping on the perches (willingly in most cases, but put there every night in one or 2 cases!)

[devonlady]

You could use rubber/dummy eggs and keep the real ones for yourselves

[Clansman]

golfs balls work well 

[chrismahon]

Remove all the straw off the floor and just let them poo on newspaper. That removes their nest material. Remove any curtains from the nest boxes until they have found them and established laying there, then replace the curtains to give them the security and privacy they will prefer. This also discourages them sleeping in the nest boxes- they can't see them that well at night. Straw isn't advisable in a coop at all because it makes a perfect place for red mite to hide. Use hay or wood shavings in the nest boxes.


On the point of training, one very important thing is to train them to is the the rattle of the grain scoop or bucket. This allows you to round up any that may stray. A little mixed grain every day starting with the same rattle will bring them all running at any time wherever they are.