How to Get Your Chickens to Lay in Nesting Boxes

Nesting boxes provide your hens with a place to rest and lay their eggs. If you can train your chickens to lie in their nesting boxes, you can conveniently collect their eggs every morning. Without the nesting boxes, you may find your chicken eggs anywhere.

Things You'll Need

  • Nesting boxes
  • Hay
  • Cushions
  • Ceramic eggs
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Move your nesting boxes to a dark, quiet location. Hens want a cool, safe place to lay their eggs. They are more likely to use the nesting boxes in the proper environment.

    • 2

      Fill the boxes with soft hay for comfort. You might even set some soft cushions in the boxes.

    • 3

      Place fake eggs in the nesting boxes. You can find ceramic eggs at your local feed store. The eggs are durable and will motivate the hens to lay their eggs in the nesting boxes.

    • 4

      Pick up any eggs you find outside the boxes. If your hens see eggs laying haphazardly in the yard, they will think it's OK to lay their eggs outside the nesting boxes.

    • 5

      Confine the hens to their nesting boxes for the first part of the morning. This is when hens typically lay their eggs.

    • 6

      Patrol the chicken yard in the early morning if you do not want to confine the birds. Try to catch the chickens before they lay their eggs outside and chase them back into their coup. Never chase them all the way into the nesting box, though, or they won't feel safe there.

    • 7

      Remove the chickens from the boxes after you harvest the eggs. Keep the boxes hen-free until just before sunrise to reduce waste. Your chickens are more likely to use well-maintained boxes.