Chickens sleeping in nest boxes

[katarobb]

I have four hens that are just about 18 weeks old so I'm expecting to get my first eggs soon. I'm a first time chicken owner and have learned so much from this site! So let's start with, I should've seen this coming and realized it would be an issue but I didn't. Moving forward - I need some advice on what to do now.

The girls have been sleeping in the nest boxes since I moved them outside about 10 weeks ago. This means that they also poop in the nest boxes overnight. I realize now that they really need to be sleeping on the roost bars and only going into the boxes to lay. I think they are not sleeping on the roost bars because they are too low. There's not a lot of head-space or a good way to install a roost bar much higher because of the layout of their small coop. I am going to *try* to put in a roost bar that goes catty-corner across the inside at just the right height to give enough space above but is still higher up than the nest boxes. It may not be long enough for all four birds. Maybe I should block off the next boxes for a while so that they get out of the habit of sleeping there but... then what happens if they start laying any day now?? Should I just scoop out their poop kind of like you would in a litter box until they figure it out? Any suggestions welcome!

I think this was a good starter home but it is probably not going to be their forever home. I've made several modifications already.

 

[sourland]

As you are learning, chickens like to roost at the highest possible point.

 

[Anime2lover]

Yep. We found that to be completely true. They even tried sleeping on top of the run when we started ours free ranging. We had to "train" them not to.

 

[Flockincrazy]

I have four hens that are just about 18 weeks old so I'm expecting to get my first eggs soon. I'm a first time chicken owner and have learned so much from this site! So let's start with, I should've seen this coming and realized it would be an issue but I didn't. Moving forward - I need some advice on what to do now.

The girls have been sleeping in the nest boxes since I moved them outside about 10 weeks ago. This means that they also poop in the nest boxes overnight. I realize now that they really need to be sleeping on the roost bars and only going into the boxes to lay. I think they are not sleeping on the roost bars because they are too low. There's not a lot of head-space or a good way to install a roost bar much higher because of the layout of their small coop. I am going to *try* to put in a roost bar that goes catty-corner across the inside at just the right height to give enough space above but is still higher up than the nest boxes. It may not be long enough for all four birds. Maybe I should block off the next boxes for a while so that they get out of the habit of sleeping there but... then what happens if they start laying any day now?? Should I just scoop out their poop kind of like you would in a litter box until they figure it out? Any suggestions welcome!

I think this was a good starter home but it is probably not going to be their forever home. I've made several modifications already.

I would block the nestboxes at night and open them up in the day so if they start laying they will be able to and put in higher roosts if you take the current roost and put it above the nestboxes it would be perfect

 

[katarobb]

I would block the nestboxes at night and open them up in the day so if they start laying they will be able to and put in higher roosts if you take the current roost and put it above the nestboxes it would be perfect

THANK YOU for your suggestions. At the moment, the hens really never go inside during the day. Do you suppose that will change when they start to lay? I just assumed, they lay over night or early morning and then go outside - I don't know why. If I move the current roost above the nest boxes, it will leave only about 6 inches of "head space" above the roost bar. Do you think that's ok?

 

[Flockincrazy]

THANK YOU for your suggestions. At the moment, the hens really never go inside during the day. Do you suppose that will change when they start to lay? I just assumed, they lay over night or early morning and then go outside - I don't know why. If I move the current roost above the nest boxes, it will leave only about 6 inches of "head space" above the roost bar. Do you think that's ok?

Going inside will change when they start laying and they will not lay at night unless you keep a light on them night and day which you don't want to do 6" is not enough space so scratch that you need at least the height of your chickens plus 4" of space above the roost could you put it on the opposite side of the coop from the nestboxes

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes roosts are too low and I'd move them (if possible) just above the pop door, if that allows for 12" of space over head. Can't really tell if there's room for that.

For 4 birds ideally you'd want 48" of roost space but I had 40-42" for my beginner flock of 4 and that suited them fine.

As far as the nests, since they're not laying yet, I'd block them off for a solid week or so (and force them to roost on new higher roosts), then after that, block them before dusk and uncover them at night so that will allow them to access nests if needed first thing in the morning.

 

[aart]

This might work for your coop......
Here's an excellent modification to that kind of coop:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-in-nest-boxes.1134399/page-2#post-17749535

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's a common problem with that type of coop, the roosts are just too low. And Aart's suggestion is a pretty good fix. The roosts don't have to be higher than the top of the nests, just higher than where they would typically sleep. In that small of a coop 6" may be enough. Position the roost so their butts aren't hanging over the nests, at least a foot away.

Don't let recommendations of how long roosts should be worry you too much. I've seen recommendations on here anywhere from 7" per chicken to 15". I don't know the physical size of that coop but I'd think a single roost would be plenty. It's going to be low enough they can just hop up to it, they don't really have to spread their wings and fly.

Since they are in the habit of sleeping in the nests they may need to be retrained to sleep on the new higher roost. I personally don't like the idea of blocking off the nests when they could start laying any day as you could train them to not lay in the nests. I'll suggest one of two strategies.

My preferred one is to move them to the roosts from the nests after they have settled in for the night. Hopefully it is dark enough inside that they can't just go back to the nests. Do this consistently every night until they start going to bed on the roosts.

The other thought is to block the nests fairly late in the day to force them to find another place to sleep. They may automatically use the roosts, you may have to train them to use it anyway. Then after it is dark and they have settled on the roost for the night remove the blockage so the nests are available when they wake up. Or be out there at the crack of dawn to open the nests. A lot of the time they like to lay first thing in the morning.

The reasons I like the first method is that the nests are always open and you can tell when they learn to roost. The second way they may go back to the nests if you leave them open too early. Either way can work, whichever is easier for you.

 

[katarobb]

I would block the nestboxes at night and open them up in the day so if they start laying they will be able to and put in higher roosts if you take the current roost and put it above the nestboxes it would be perfect

THANK YOU for your suggestions. At the moment, the hens really never go inside during the day. Do you suppose that will change when they start to lay? I just assumed, they lay over night or early morning and then go outside - I don't know why. If I move the current roost above the nest boxes, it will leave only about 6 inches of "head space" above the roost bar. Do you think that's ok?