Chickens wont go into the nest boxes?

[Luke10]

Hello, i got my first 4 hens yesterday! I got 4 warrens and they are 22 weeks old.

The two nest boxes are built on the second floor of my coop, but they wont go up the small ladder to get to the nest boxes! Today i put one up on the second floor, but all she wanted to do is get straight back down but instead of using the ladder to get down she sort of just jumped down. Then i put another hen up their and she explored about a bit more and then she went into the nest box and laid an egg! (My first egg!

). But they are not going up there by their selfs and i am worried that they will lay in the wrong places. They are not even going onto the perches i have built for them, they are built as a type of ladder, and all one hen did today was fly straight for the top perch instead of hoping from step to step, which made her come tumbling down. I am also worried about them sleeping on the floor, will this cause any problems for any of my chickens? Will the chickens figure out how to use the ladder and the perches by their selfs?

Another thing is that they keep flying up at me. They only have done it once or twice to me, but keep doing it to my niece who is 4 years old. This has made my niece scared of the chickens and will not enter the coop or go any where near them. Why do they keep flying up at us?

Thanks, Luke.

p.s here is a pic of my first egg which i got today:

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Not sure why they are flying up at you. Perhaps they were hand fed treats before. I'm wondering if you could post pictures of your roost set up? It may help to trouble shoot. Generally speaking, nest boxes are usually set lower than the roosts. This prevents them from roosting in the nest boxes. You might try putting a small crate on the floor with shavings or straw in it to see if they are more comfortable laying in a lower spot. Or...it just may take them a little while to get used to the new set up.

 

[BrewedInNh]

Do you have fake eggs in the nest boxes? The fake eggs make them think that it must be a good place to lay an egg since another hen already did. I use golf balls. It's funny to see them climb into the nest and use their beak to tuck the golf balls under themselves.

A couple of our hens will fly up on us too, mostly if we're standing still. We can even trigger them to do it by standing with one arm extended. The only problem is they're both heavy breeds, and if they fly up from behind and hit you in the back of the head it can be a shock.

 

[Luke10]

Yay Chicks! :

Not sure why they are flying up at you. Perhaps they were hand fed treats before. I'm wondering if you could post pictures of your roost set up? It may help to trouble shoot. Generally speaking, nest boxes are usually set lower than the roosts. This prevents them from roosting in the nest boxes. You might try putting a small crate on the floor with shavings or straw in it to see if they are more comfortable laying in a lower spot. Or...it just may take them a little while to get used to the new set up.

Thanks for your comment, i'll post some pics tomorrow, and i'll put the nest boxes lower. The reason why i didn't wont them to be down low is because if a mouse or rat got into the coop, i wouldn't wont them to be around the eggs in which i will be eating, lol.

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Yes i also use golf balls, im sure they will lay once they get up there, the only problem is getting them up there

Thanks.​

 

[Judy]

If you start having mouse and rat problems you will have to get them, one way or another, anyway.

The only time mine fly up at me is when they think I have a treat. I suspect this guess was correct.

I wouldn't have that child in with them any more, for sure. Not unless they get a lot tamer, anyway.

 

[Luke10]

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Thanks for your post ddawn. Is there any way to stop them from flying up at people, or will they just stop with time?