Darlings won't sleep on their roost...addicted to nesting boxes!

[Rustic Chicken]

Hi Everyone,

My now 4 month old girls (oh, and one accidental rooster) have been doing really well in their coop. The only problem we are having is that they insist on sleeping in their nesting boxes (3 per box and they segregate according to breed believe it or not!). I mean they really do look cozy, but common already! How do I get them to stop this and get on their very nice roost I slaved over?

Thanks!
Jennifer

 

[TigerLilly]

I was reading another post about the same thing & someone suggested putting filled gallon jugs in the box before roosting time & taking them out during the day. I was going to try it but my work schedule doesnt allow for the consistancy needed to make it work.

 

[Rustic Chicken]

Great idea... Thanks so much!!!

 

[sandracollins]

mine did the same so someone on byc said to put them up on the roosts for a few nights and they will learn ,it worked but they all go on the one roost ,all 14 of them even though the roosts are the same height so i am still going out at night and moving them over to the other roost to make some room !!!!!!!!!!! p.s. did chicken math started 2 weeks ago with 10 chickens (went out to buy 6) liked my white silkie so much had to buy a gold and a blue and just two more chickens so now up to 14 lol!!

 

[MTFarm]

I'm no expert but we did better by increasing the height of our roost poles when we had a little problem with that.

Also, our nest boxes have perches that can be raised, essentially blocking the entrance. We did that overnight to prevent that problem with a certain bird.

Maybe you could do something like that with what you've got?

You can see ours here:

 

[TigerLilly]

I had the same problem (which is why I was reading about it) & one of the other suggestions was to make sure the roosts are higher than the nest boxes. Mine weren't, so I fixed that. There are still a couple of hens that refuse to conform, so I am going to have to try the placing them on the roost idea. Problem with that, again, is that my work schedule doesn't allow for consistancy with that either. I'm not here all the time at dusk...

ETA: love your tractor!

 

[Rustic Chicken]

I'm an idiot... I didn't realize they had to be higher than the nesting boxes. Why is that?

 

[sandy sea]

They like to sit on the highest spots to feel safe.

 

[bigoakhunter]

Quote:
Part of their natural instict to survive. They will typically roost as high up as possible to avoid preditation. Their were pictures on BYC about a year ago where someone had a coop inside of an old farm barn and his birds would fly up to the barn beams to roost. Roosts should always be at least 6 inches or more higher than nestboxes to encourage proper behavior.

 

[sandracollins]

my roosts are higher than the nest boxes and the first roost i put in was in front of the window as everyone says they like a view ,it has a big poop tray under it but this is the one they wont go onto ,then because of chicken math i had to put in another roost over the nest boxes with no view but this is the one they like !!!!!! i dont always have time to go out at dusk so sometimes it is way after dark when i move them but they stay there until morning ( i know by the poop board)