Chicken ark- the girls keep roosting in the side nest boxes!

[patman75]

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My tractor is a Catawba ark as well, see my comments of what i did. I'm still blocking the nest boxes at night and opening them back in the morning. Until they all start laying eggs + some extra retrain time.

 

[patandchickens]

Where does your roost run, Chicks4chix? Do you by any chance have a photo that shows it? I am having a little trouble envisioning how it *and* a droppings board are fitting into that ark... I wonder whether the chickens are maybe finding it awkward to get up to, or something?

You may just have to resort to going out every evening, putting the hcickens on the roost properly, and closing off the nestbox til morning. Until they get used to the program.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[FaereChicken]

This year and last year, the young pullets would roost in the middle nest box (and fill it up with poo) Once they started laying and got a little older, they started using the roosts. If you seriously want to try to train a chicken, go for it, but they'll probably give up after a while.

 

[chick4chix]

Thanks Patman75- It looks like I will be blocking them out at night for a bit longer. How did you raise your roost- did you put the 2x4 on top of the existing roost?

Patandchickens- my roost runs from the end of each nest box and to the side of the ladder hole which gets pulled up and closed at night. It has plenty of room- but it's only about 3-4" above the board and although I called it a dropping board- it's just the plywood bottom that connects the whole thing together- look at the photo in the framing stage and you'll see what I mean. I put newspaper underneath pine shavings and then clean it all out once a week- so that's why I called it a dropping board- which is probably something entirely different- ha.

It sounds like you have all solved your problems by blocking it off- raising the roost-and making the roost higher and wider. I have a question about the 2x4- if it's flat side up- how do they wrap their toes around it- or don't they do that at night? I was under the assumption they needed to wrap their toes around something somewhat roundish
Thanks again everyone for all the tips and ideas

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Do put in the 2 x 4 so they DON'T have to grip the roost all night.

At times, mine will have the front knuckle of their toes sitting on the front of the roost. Since my roost is so wide (6") they will have their whole feet flat with their chest resting on their feet and their behinds on the rest of the roost.

I must say, they look really snug and cozy for the night.

So cozy, I'm debating whether I want to swap out the wider roost for a 2 x 4 because of the poo I get on the wider roost because of where their butts rest.

 

[chick4chix]

Sweet cheeks- I got a laugh out of that one- maybe you need to make the 2x6 with washable paint-ha. They get poo on the 2x2 roost too- I just figured they step in it right before they get on- so I wire-brush that once a week too and then dust it with food grade DE.

 

[patman75]

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I screwed the 2X4 to the 2X2 roost with the wide side up, so they dont have to wrap their toes, this keep their feet under thier feathers and keeps them warmer. I have had this for over a week and they are not pooping on the roost at all. I also added a piece of 2X2 under the roost to elevate the roost up for a total of 4 inches. I then secured the roost with some extra screws to make it more stable. I will get a picture of it posted this weekend. I'm still blocking the nest boxes at night with a piece of ply wood and a 2X4 braced against the frame/outside edge of the nest box.

 

[chick4chix]

Thanks Patman- how old are your girls? Mine are 19.5 weeks so am expecting eggs soon ( I hope) I will do that 2x4 on top of the 2x2 this weekend and let you know how it works.
I just got home from going to dinner and was not back in time to block them off before they put themselves to bed- sure enough they were all jambed in on top of one another. When I gently picked and placed them back inside the hole (which is difficult without the side off- you other ark owners will know what I'm talking about) they then walked down to the other nest and tried to roost in there - ha- so I blocked the one side and then walked around and had to do the same exercise on the other nest (picking them up and sticking them back through the hole).
They make the funniest noises after they are disturbed from their "settle" kind of a hmmph hmmph hmmph with a whistle and wheeze for good measure

 

[patman75]

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Mine are almost 22 weeks. My Isa Brown and White leghorn have been laying since week 19. My Buff Orpington and Silver Laced Wyandotte are still not laying..hopefully soon

 

[chick4chix]

I can hardly wait! I'm doing the egg watch- checking the nest...checking the nest...checking the nest...
I'm encouraged by the fact that someone has been up there during the day scratching a larger hole in the hay- or... just kicking out the fake egg I set in there.
We are having a heat wave in SoCal the past two days- I feel bad for them to begin their laying careers in this heat - hopefully it will break soon.