How can I encourage my newly laying hen to use the nest box?

Question

We got two chicks this spring and been checking for those first eggs lately and hadn't seen any yet. Today I pulled out the droppings tray to dump it and found a couple of soft shelled or broken eggs in it. She must have laid the eggs on the wooden bars above and they fell through. I've heard of people putting a fake egg in the nest box - does that help? Can it be a plastic egg from my son's toy cooking set? (a whole egg, obviously, not a plastic fried egg!). As for the soft shells, she is still eating chick starter/grower. I'll start them on layer's feed tomorrow - will that solve that problem? Thanks!

Answer 1

Putting fake eggs or golf balls or any other small round white thing will send them in the right direction. As for the soft egg shells, its normal for a young pullet to lay like that for the first couple of weeks. She'll start laying stronger eggs soon. Also egg laying rates will drop after she start laying hard eggs. Layer pellets should help your hens through.  

Answer 2

Putting a fake egg in the nest box is exactly what you need to do.  Anything egg shaped and the correct size will work.

Answer 3

To start with most birds are hesitant to get into the box. You can try putting a small amount of food in the box to try and coax her in. And if she is eating her eggs it probably means that she doesn't get enough calcium in her diet. Also try laying newspaper on the bottom of the cage - not necessarily all of the bottom of the cage but one part so that if she does lay eggs there they won't fall through.

Hope I helped.