Babies in the nesting boxes...again...

[SnootyHen]

Any tricks for chasing chicks out of the nesting boxes? The big girls will chase them out if they are laying but then it's a free-for-all if none of the big girls want to lay. Also, since the big ones all like to use the same box anyway, the babies party in one of the unused boxes. I've tried just kicking them out but short of moving in to the coop myself, it's not lasting long enough. They go right back in 5 minutes later.

 

[Eddie the Yeti]

I have found that smaller chicks feel safer in the confined space. I have even had them hide under the coop which worried me because I also saw mice under there and was not sure if the chick were big enough to eat them. you might take the top of a two piece plastic dog crate and set it out for them, weight it down a bit. if the small chicks can get under it and the bigger ones can't it may be the safe haven they need, especially if they keep getting chased out of the nesting boxes but not out of their new little hide box. bonus is you can move it around a bit like a chicken tractor so they are not always in the same spot and it is easy to flip over and clean under it if you do leave it in one spot. When they get too big just pick it up and save it for the next batch.

 

[SnootyHen]

I have found that smaller chicks feel safer in the confined space. I have even had them hide under the coop which worried me because I also saw mice under there and was not sure if the chick were big enough to eat them. you might take the top of a two piece plastic dog crate and set it out for them, weight it down a bit. if the small chicks can get under it and the bigger ones can't it may be the safe haven they need, especially if they keep getting chased out of the nesting boxes but not out of their new little hide box. bonus is you can move it around a bit like a chicken tractor so they are not always in the same spot and it is easy to flip over and clean under it if you do leave it in one spot. When they get too big just pick it up and save it for the next batch.

Great idea! Thanks!!