Sleeping in laying box. Normal???????????

[Maine Chicken]

Hi there. I have 4 RIR that are about 14 weeks old. I have one laying box in their coop. They all 4 try to cram themselves into the 1 box (12"x12") when they sleep. They lay on top of each other. It is quite funny to see. Will they stop this when they start laying eggs? Are they supposed to use it as a bed? There is enough room in the coop itself to sleep (although it isn't overburdoned with size (4x4). They have plenty of room outside to move around. I wanted the coop to just be for sleeping and laying. What do you think?

 

[thechickenchick]

My first batch never slept in the nest boxes. This second batch was. I would go out and place them on the roosts, but come morning they would be back in the boxes. Of course this meant poopy nesting boxes. Sometimes I didn't get a chance to clean them before the morning egg poduction!

I added more roosts. still didn't help! So this is what I did. I stapled an old bed sheet on the top off the boxes. In the morning when I open their door I lift the sheet and hook it up. After everyone has layed , or at least before their bedtime, I drop the sheet. I do have one bantam that still manages to push the sheet aside and get in! Thats better than 10 though!

 

[ChickenToes]

How high is the box off the floor?

Chickens like to sleep and roost as high as possible, so if the box is higher than the roosts they'll sleep in the box. It's a bad habit for them to get into because it can be hard to get them to stop.

 

[rooster-red]

Do you have roosts for them?

Your roosts need to be higher than the nest boxes so that they'll want to roost there instead of roosting and pooping in the nest boxes.

 

[mainely-chick]

Temporary close in the nest boxes until they are near laying age. By that time they should have learned to use their roosts.

 

[Ellie]

You know, my second batch does this too. I found a screen that is the same size and put it in front of the boxes when I get home from work and gather the days eggs. I then take it out in the morning. One still sneaks in the side but the others now roost on the new roost I built finally!.

Now my 2 babies still stay clear of everyone else and roost on the top of their air conditioner!

Ellie

 

[arlee453]

I second the 'close off the boxes'. My boxes are at the same height as the roosts and I had the same problem.

I ended up blocking off the boxes until they were 19 weeks old and by that time they had developed the habit of sleeping on the roosts, so they didn't go back to sleeping in the boxes.