cramming into one nesting box

[ginger c.]

hi all! we have 4 standard chickens and they are all right at 20 weeks, no eggs yet,

in the evenings when we put them to bed they insist on cramming themselves into one nesting box. there are three boxes and also roosts in the coop. should we try to stop them from sleeping in the nesting box, and if so how!!!????!!! help please.

 

[kinsey228]

For 20 Pullets, I have 8 nesting boxes, but they all decide that they need to form a line and all use the same one nesting box

 

[cravenchx]

I thought they were not suppose to sleep in
nesting boxes...too messy.
Someone let me know if I'm wrong

 

[kinsey228]

They aren't. How many roosts do you have ?

 

[ginger c.]

Quote:
there are 3 roosts in the coop, one of those is the one right outside the nesting boxes.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

If your roost isn't high enough above your nesting boxes, they'll roost in the boxes. Try moving your roost up a few inches. I was having the same problem and from advice from here, moved my roost up 4" and low and behold, they roosted on the roost and not the nesting boxes!

 

[ginger c.]

Quote:
The roost outside the nesting boxes is about 3-4" higher than the nests. In the morning, they'll be on that or the lower roosts. But when they first get in they fight over a box. The funny thing is... it isn't always the same box. Sometimes they want #1 sometimes #2.

 

[peepblessed]

Quote:
X2!

 

[HighNDryFarm]

ginger c. :

Quote:
The roost outside the nesting boxes is about 3-4" higher than the nests. In the morning, they'll be on that or the lower roosts. But when they first get in they fight over a box. The funny thing is... it isn't always the same box. Sometimes they want #1 sometimes #2.

That's about how much higher mine was before I raised it. And yes, they all use the same nesting box to lay.​

 

[mysweetgypsy]

Mine do the same thing!! All 7 of them cram into one box (the little ones still sleep in a pile in the corner). I have a roost on the opposite side of the coop, and 5 boxes, still they pile in! I'm going to block the boxes in a day or two. If it works I'll let you know.