8 chickens sleeping in one nesting box?

[Bawkinghen]

Hi, still new here. We have 12 pullets that are about 12 weeks old now. Chicken behavior is completely baffling to me, so I'm not sure if this is normal, but 8 of my chickens are coming into the henhouse for the night and piling on top of each other in one little 12"X18" nesting box. The other four enjoy roosting with one another high up. I don't get it...there are 5 other nesting boxes and LOTS of roosting space. Do they really just like each other's company that much? Can the ones on the bottom of the pile even breathe? Should I do something to stop this behavior or is it normal? I'm assuming they will grow out of it...literally?

 

[pichuris]

Until they are ready to lay I would not let them have access to nestboxes. This can become a habit. I would start putting them on the roosts to show them where they need to be. Piling up on each other is not safe either. Some can get smoothered and die. HTH Good luck.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They sometimes take awhile to like roosting- often 3 or more months!

But I wouldn't let them sleep in there - I'd block it off unless you have other chickens laying now. If you do have layers at the moment, I guess there isn't anything to be done- except you can put them on the roost at night in hopes that you can teach them to roost.

 

[pichuris]

They sometimes take awhile to like roosting- often 3 or more months!

But I wouldn't let them sleep in there - I'd block it off unless you have other chickens laying now. If you do have layers at the moment, I guess there isn't anything to be done- except you can put them on the roost at night in hopes that you can teach them to roost.

x 2

 

[Bawkinghen]

Thank you so much! Well then, we will be boarding up the nesting boxes to or row morning and we will make sure to put them all on the roosts at night until they get it. Thank you, thank you!

 

[pichuris]

Have fun!