Sleeping in the nesting box

[labradors]

My chickens are settling in nicely and they have all learned to lay eggs in the nesting box. However, one of them likes to sleep in there, as evidenced by a lot of in it. There is also a nest hog, who causes the "alpha bitch" chicken to cackle at the top of her voice, screaming b. murder if she cannot get in there! At dusk, the night before last, I caught the perp and evicted her. I removed the box, put in some fresh bedding and returned it the next morning. Three of them laid their eggs in the corner of the coop, and one didn't lay an egg

Last night I turned the box around to face the wall, and allowed them to use it again first thing. Four eggs from four chickens! Yeah!

My question is, how long do I have to deny access to the box for the penny to drop?

Linda

[Jaye]

In answer to your question, I don't know/can't say. They are all different.
I do know that when I don't want any of my chickens in a particular nest box, I just fill it with something. Right now I have an old 920g Plastic Folgers coffee container filled with Stall Dry in one of my nest boxes during the day to keep the rest of the girls from harassing my broody, who is in the nest box next door, fenced off. It's easy to remove and install whenever I need to.

[labradors]

Thanks Jaye. Good idea :)

Linda

[Jaye]

You're welcome! Oh, and the reason I put Stall Dry in it is to weigh it down so that the hens can't knock it over/push it out to get in, plus it was handy at the time. It is big enough to discourage entry.

[labradors]

I've been turning the nesting box around to face the wall as soon as four eggs have been laid. This morning we slept in and I ran out to attend to the chickens (let them out of the coop and turn the box around). Imagine my surprise when I turned the box around and found three eggs in it! I hadn't pushed it right up against the wall and they had sneaked in through the gap :)

Linda