Early Evening egg laying

[Sgrrt]

6 weeks? Do you mean 16 weeks?

Where are your nest boxes in relation to the roosts? The roosts must be higher than the nest boxes. How much roost space do you have and how many birds? What breeds?

It is not uncommon for pullets to sleep in the nest boxes until they start becoming more confident to join others on the roost. I have a 22 week old pullet in with a bunch of 20 month old hens and 8 month old pullets and I have to remove her from a nest box nightly. I just wait until it is fully dark before doing final head count and lockup. I remove her and place her next to her father if there is space or on an empty spot on the roost. It's too dark by that time for her neighbors to peck at her. She will stay there until morning. No poopy nest boxes and they are open for my dawn layers to use.

Yes I meant 16 weeks. My roost is much higher than the nesting boxes. I have four boxes. The hen house was custom built by someone who makes them for fun. He has been doing it for the past 30 years.

 

[luvmigirls]

I agree with you, the chickens lower on the pecking order may use the nest box a as retreat from the roosts if its hostile!