Chickens roosting in nesting boxes, help!

[seafooeymama]

We have 14 chickens, and our coop is actually a stall in the barn with a small yard outside. The chicks are 12 weeks, and haven't started laying yet. We have roosts all over the stall, some higher than the boxes. We have a bank of six boxes mounted on the wall. Every morning when I go in, the are ALL crammed in the two top boxes and roosts outside the boxes. They keep filling the boxes with chicken poop! I want to fix it before they start laying. Any ideas on how to get them to stop sleeping in the boxes? Should I lower the boxes closer to the ground? They are about waist high now. I can post pics if I need to.

 

[Hillsvale]

Quote:
Mine did the same thing... boot their butts out and cover with chicken wire... they only try and hop in a couple of times before they stop (well as evidenced by the dented chicken wire)

 

[CityChook]

Can you take the boxes out? They aren't anywhere near ready to lay yet. Once they get used to sleeping on the roosts, they'll prefer it and go there.
If the boxes aren't removable, maybe they can be blocked off? There's no reason for them to have access to them this early.

 

[seafooeymama]

We will either take them out or cover them until they lay, then. Thanks a bunch for the suggestions!

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Chickens roost at the highest point they can be at so what you need to do is put the nesting boxes lower then the roost, take mine for example they roost on a platform roost 28 inches off the ground and the nest boxes are 18 inches off the ground they don't even look at the nesting boxes.

 

[92Pony]

I just had to cover mine - My Dad warned me about it.

Even though they have roosts-o-plenty, my 9wk olds decided the nesting boxes looked like a fabulous place to sleep. Boarded the boxes over, and now they're sleeping on the ramps that lead up to the boxes and roosts.

Dumb birds - LOL!



Wade