Can you teach a silkie to lay in a nesting box?
This is our first flock that will be 6 months old next week.
Right now our silkie has just started laying and we find the egg on the floor. Our situation is a bit complicated. Our 3 silkies (2 hens, 1 rooster) were introduced to our 10 Colombian Reds (all hens) when they were both about 2 months of age.
The silkies are definitely on the bottom of the pecking order. They mostly were shunned to the corner by "the Reds" for about 4 months (2 weeks ago). They are now integrating nicely but haven't made it up to the nesting boxes like the Reds. The nesting box is about 3 feet off the ground w/ a ramp attached. We've tried to give the silkies some privacy by resting some plywood at an angle against the wall. They like hiding sometimes, but don't lay in it. They lay the eggs in front.
Any ideas? thanks.
This is our first flock that will be 6 months old next week.
Right now our silkie has just started laying and we find the egg on the floor. Our situation is a bit complicated. Our 3 silkies (2 hens, 1 rooster) were introduced to our 10 Colombian Reds (all hens) when they were both about 2 months of age.
The silkies are definitely on the bottom of the pecking order. They mostly were shunned to the corner by "the Reds" for about 4 months (2 weeks ago). They are now integrating nicely but haven't made it up to the nesting boxes like the Reds. The nesting box is about 3 feet off the ground w/ a ramp attached. We've tried to give the silkies some privacy by resting some plywood at an angle against the wall. They like hiding sometimes, but don't lay in it. They lay the eggs in front.
Any ideas? thanks.