AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

I finally got a roll away nesting box for my light sussex pen as I got so sick of the crows pinching the eggs as the chooks free range all day and I leave the door to their pen open to allow them to come and go. Egg pinching is not a problem if they are all in the pen as it is covered and birds can't get in.

Problem is the nests are not very big. My little commercial hyline that I have had for years will lay in there but I only eat her eggs and don't hatch them. The sussex girls will not go in there to lay. I have taken everything away and only left them the roll away nest so they lay on the shelf the nest is on. I go down and find an egg right next to the nest on the shelf. I have always used those black cube storage boxes with the front cut out and a lid on top. You could probably fit LS girls in there.

I have tried putting them in there but they just freak out. It is not so small they don't fit but it is a snug fit as my girls a fairly big.

Does anyone have any suggestions????? Or have I wasted $150 on the nesting box!!!!!!

I have put the link in to the photo:-

http://paforumphotogallery.com/displayi ... ?pos=-2422

$150 !!, can you post a pick of them?
in time they should use it, hopefully they will copy your hyline hen, as for the time being maybe put some obstacles on the shelf so it will be impossible for them to lay there?
and you cant use the fake egg, coz it would just roll away ( I hope)

hope this helps
good luck
Peter

Wire or fix a fake egg or two on the slope that should help. They will get used to them mine did but took about a week.
Cheers Drew

For a 2 weeks put straw in there make it comfy to entice them. As they start useing it gradually take a handfull of straw away each day till there is nothing left. With dumb animals slowly is best. I do the same with my hens when I change something. Put there feed infront of the box aswell so they realise it is not scarey. Plus you might find they could be scared of the shine? you could fix that with a lick of paint.
Hope this helps.
Kata

Really good suggestions thanks katscars. I will try it otherwise I have wasted my money. They are a bit shiny aren't they.

My sussex seem to girls the old 60 litre paint drums , Their bigger than a 20 l drum and smaller than a 44 gal drom , Maybe you can put a drum with no bottom up against your roll away box , to entice them in ???

I love those rollaways

I use them with my 'chooks' as you aussie say, love that

Well at long last one of my sussex is laying in the rollaway nesting box.

Thanks Katscars, I did what you suggested witht he hay in the bottom of the nest and removing some each day.

It is a snug fit for her but the pullet lays in there now every time she lays as does the little commercial hen I have, Missy.

I have done well lately and only lost a coulpe of eggs to crows as the other sussex just lay anywhere and everywhere since I took their other nesting box off them. The crows can't find the eggs and sometimes it takes me a coule of days to track them done as well.

I have decided to lock them in their pen through the day for a couple of days to see if I can encourage mroe to use the rollaway nesting box. I really thought they were too big and wouldn't use it but the sussex pullet that now uses it is huge so no excuse for the others at all.

I am glad that it is working for you, I myself leave the hens in till midday so they lay in their nest & not all over the place. I have noticed that most of my hens lay under one of my broodies. She is a silkie cross, broodie threw winter as well. just sits there & has to be thrown out twice a day to eat. All the hens lay in her box she is shoved to the side as they get in, once the egg is laid she re-arranges herself. But there are 3 hens that lay in my storage cupboard in the shed. plus any young ones who lay for the first time just let it drop out where ever they are. But keeping them in for half the day means I only find a few around the place.

I know, I tried that but I have a couple that like to lay late in the day and I usually find them in the hay shed. I have decided to set up a box in the hay shed so I don't have to climb up and down the hay looking for them. They always lay in the box in the shed now.