Chickens Sleeping in Egg Box

[spicewood chick]

Hi
I have 7 girls that consist of 2 silkies and 5 regular size hens. 1 silkie is laying now but the others should be laying soon. My concern is that ALL 7 birds cram themselves into the laying area to sleep each night I think because they watched the first silkie sleep there when they came to live with us. My concern is my silkie is laying her eggs in the yard area mostly but sometimes in the attached run and only once in the laying boxes. Will they NOT lay in the boxes if they are sleeping in there as well? I close off the chain link yard at night to keep predators out but attached run is open on ends with wire. Should I close them out of the laying box at night and make them sleep on perches in the run area or will they not do that now? You can see the areas in the picture attached. The laying area us all the way up to the top of the small coop area where the egg box is, there are two egg boxes and a small open area in front of it. That's where all 7 sleep basically on top of each other for some reason

 

[Chicken Man 42]

I think to put them all on the roost would be the best idea to do.

 

[kitkat5505]

Chickens like to sleep up high, so if your nesting boxes are as high or higher than the roosts they will want to sleep there. I'd start with covering the nest boxes at night and putting them on the roosts if they won't get on themselves. Put fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting boxes so they see that's where eggs go.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Every evening, you need to go out and place them on the roosts where you want them to sleep. After a few days, they should start figuring it out. Don't block off the nests as you want to encourage them to use them when they do start laying. You can add a couple golf balls or fake eggs in to the boxes to help your silkie and the others learn where to lay.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Put fake eggs or golf balls in the nesting boxes so they see that's where eggs go.

Lol, you beat me to it!

 

[spicewood chick]

I think to put them all on the roost would be the best idea to do.

So i may need to close the egg box area at night to keep them out? Or will perches in the lower coop make them come out and sleep on them?

 

[OneMountainAcres]

So i may need to close the egg box area at night to keep them out? Or will perches in the lower coop make them come out and sleep on them?

The only problem with closing them off at night is that they will cost somewhere else to lay in the morning if they need to and the boxes aren't open yet. Is it possible to move your boxes down to the floor or at least lower than the roost?

 

[kitkat5505]

So i may need to close the egg box area at night to keep them out? Or will perches in the lower coop make them come out and sleep on them?

^^ Yeah, only block off the nest boxes if you are up early enough to open them before they start laying, or just block them right before they go to bed and unblock them a short time later once they are asleep.

 

[lazy gardener]

Or block off nest boxes late afternoon/early evening before they go to roost. After they've settled on the roosts, you can then open the nest boxes back up. As long as you don't use a lot of light when you open the boxes back up, they'll stay roosted.

 

[spicewood chick]

The only problem with closing them off at night is that they will cost somewhere else to lay in the morning if they need to and the boxes aren't open yet. Is it possible to move your boxes down to the floor or at least lower than the roost?

No boxes are in the upper coop made into it. I could add boxes down as well on the main floor of the attached enclosed run?