Panhandler80
Songster
So, at the very end of July, just a couple days before hitting 18 weeks, I removed the barricade that restricted the boxes from them. I added some nesting material (excelsior straw pads) and a fake egg to each nest.
Since then they have showed zero interest. They all roost in the coop at night. I check on them about an hour after actual sunrise (so maybe 90 minutes of actual light) and by that point they have all left the coop and are in the run.
I have a speckled sussex who is suddenly very interested in my presence and will squat when I put my hand on her. She's actually the only one that will semi-allow petting. Her comb is fairly red. Some of the other ones are a very light pink, and some are fire engine red. I figured with 21 chickens we would have had an egg by 19 weeks 2 days, but I guess not.
What, if anything, should I make of the lack of interest in the nesting boxes. I placed a little ramp to allow super easy access to two of them. Still, it's obvious when I access the boxes, that they have not been in any of them.
Since then they have showed zero interest. They all roost in the coop at night. I check on them about an hour after actual sunrise (so maybe 90 minutes of actual light) and by that point they have all left the coop and are in the run.
I have a speckled sussex who is suddenly very interested in my presence and will squat when I put my hand on her. She's actually the only one that will semi-allow petting. Her comb is fairly red. Some of the other ones are a very light pink, and some are fire engine red. I figured with 21 chickens we would have had an egg by 19 weeks 2 days, but I guess not.
What, if anything, should I make of the lack of interest in the nesting boxes. I placed a little ramp to allow super easy access to two of them. Still, it's obvious when I access the boxes, that they have not been in any of them.