Chicks living in nesting boxes

[suburbanchick]

My 6 week old chicks are living in their nesting boxes. They sleep in there and I think they stay in there all day bc the boxes are poop-FILLED, and there is no poop anywhere else in the coop or run!

I have wood shavings in the coop, but nothing in the nesting boxes. I was just planning to leave them vacant since they won't be laying for a while.

They have nice roosts, and plenty of room, for now anyway. So how do I keep them out of there? I don't want them to get into this habit bc then, where will they lay the eggs? Plus, my eggs will be gross!

Thanks!

 

[Orpingtonlover]

i would recommend untill they are laying age if you have no other hens of laying age in there close off the nest boxes for now untill its time for eggs that way they will be forced to use there roost and when its time for them to lay they will get the idea of what the box is for

 

[suburbanchick]

Hmmm, that sounds like a great idea. I'll look for some way to do that right now.

Little boogars!

 

[chickenranchwife]

suburbanchick, I'd put chicken wire or screen on the fronts of the nest boxes until egg time. I'm glad you brought this up because I was going to build some nest boxes for my chicks. Now my work will be cut in half, and will build roosts instead for them.