At What Age Do You Open The Nesting Boxes To Chicks

[Mrs. K]

Quote: No, me and dear hubby divided up the ugly chores long ago, I do plumbing, he does snakes.

If I see him again, and hubby is gone, I might have to do something. ugh!

 

[backinthecoop45]

I'm wondering ...... how tall should the roof of the boxes be for them to be comfortable & use it? This one is about 12 inches. Do they even need a roof?

 

[azygous]

Hens need room in a nest box to stand up as they are about to squeeze out an egg. So measue your hens as they stand and you will determine the height of the nest box.

If a nest box is out in the open, hens do appreciate a bit of privacy as they are laying. The reason for a roof on a nest box is to create a cozy, enclosed space so the hen will feel secure and safe. Some of us even hang curtains over the entrance for additional privacy. Even some commercial operations have these enclosed laying boxes with curtains.

 

[backinthecoop45]

Measure head to toe or body to toe?

 

[aart]

Measure head to toe or body to toe?

Head to toe.
12" is ok....is that 12" at opening? More head room due to slanted roof, that they might use.
Mine are 16" tall with flat roof, but 1-3" of bedding.

 

[chefvayda]

My hens are 16 weeks old. I'm getting ready to fix their best boxes. Should I put DE along with the straw and pine shavings?

 

[andreanar]

My hens are 16 weeks old. I'm getting ready to fix their best boxes. Should I put DE along with the straw and pine shavings?

I don't. I use a bit of DE in their dust bath and sometimes in the run when the flies are out of control.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I've got 4 Buffs (16wks) that show no signs (red combs/wattles, squatting) of wanting to lay. I have the nest box closed off & was planning on opening when I see "red". The situation is, they only recently started roosting on the roost (lowest) in front of the Chicken House (Hubby named what he built). During the day they do go up to the higher roosts & on top of the nest but not sleeping up there.

Wyndottes I had prior slept on the roost above the nest where I have a poop board Hoping in time the Buffs will move themselves there at night, makes cleaning so much easier. Thinking maybe I need to start placing them up on the higher roost when it's dark?

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this but got 2 questions...
1. You all think it ok to leave the nest box blocked until I see signs of laying?
2. You all think let them roost where they want or try moving them?

They didn't come from the best of conditions and they've come a long way in the 2 months I've had them. They're calmer & so much healthier looking. Thank you for your input.

 

[aart]

Should I put DE along with the straw and pine shavings?

You can put some DE in the bottom of the nests under the bedding to help deter pests from living in there, no guarantees but better there than floating in the air where it can damage lungs when breathed in.

1. You all think it ok to leave the nest box blocked until I see signs of laying?
2. You all think let them roost where they want or try moving them?

Yes, you can open nests now. Then you'll have time to train them to roost where you want them to roost.

 

[backinthecoop45]

I think it's a personal preference myself. We've tried both blocking and not and it didn't seem to matter. It seemed that once they were ready to lay they'd just find a fresh clean lavender scented box! To be fair though, we are pretty anal about keeping our coop & run area clean. We have a small 15 chicken flock and I clean about every other day or 2.