First egg but hens not going into nesting box?

[Ol Grey Mare]

All my now-13 and 14-week old chicks decided to sleep all together in the 2 floor-level nesting boxes of the coop. They're totally uninterested in the two roosting bars in the coop itself. One of my pullets has been squatting a lot lately, and I just realized if she starts laying soon the nesting boxes are occupied. Will there be a problem if they continue to sleep in the boxes; should I block off one of the two?

Sleeping in nest boxes leads to considerable accumulation of waste in the boxes - which leads to poopy eggs when birds start to lay. It is better to move the birds out of the box and place them on the roost at night so they learn to associate the roost as the place to sleep rather than the box.

 

[alebuela]

Sleeping in nest boxes leads to considerable accumulation of waste in the boxes - which leads to poopy eggs when birds start to lay.  It is better to move the birds out of the box and place them on the roost at night so they learn to associate the roost as the place to sleep rather than the box. 

Thank you! It's true about the poopy situation - I have to clean out the nesting boxes daily. Would putting up a curtain or barrier of some kind be sufficient to keep them out until they change their habits?

 

[iwiw60]

Thank you! It's true about the poopy situation - I have to clean out the nesting boxes daily. Would putting up a curtain or barrier of some kind be sufficient to keep them out until they change their habits?

Nope! You might stuff some empty egg cartons in them to block them off...the curtains will actually entice them to 'inspect' !!

 

[RezChamp]

My Nana & Granny both had the nest boxes in 2 rows(over&under) on a 3 foot wide shelf that went the whole width of their coops.
Nana's was on an 8 foot wall, Granny's was on a 12 foot wall. The shelves were off the floor about 3 or 4 feet.
I remember 1 had a 2X4 ramp with branches(about a foot long) nailed across it all the way to the shelf. It was at a gentle angle. Seems it was about 8 feet long and the low end was about 1&1/2 feet from the floor. The other coop just had a poplar (trembling aspen) sapling.
All the roosting areas were at the other end of both coops.
Although I do remember certain details I don't remember which coop was where.
I don't recall ever having poopy eggs either so my g-parents must have been very vigilante in keeping the nesting material clean.
Hope this helps.
HAGD

 

[sdm1908]

How high off the ground are they? Do you have a "landing bar" of sorts so it isn't difficult for them to get into them?

Here's some examples:

I actually have a nesting thing very similar to this!
My girls are too young to have eggs though!

 

[alebuela]

Nope! You might stuff some empty egg cartons in them to block them off...the curtains will actually entice them to 'inspect' !! 

Haha. And yes, they would inspect! Thank you for the great suggestion.

Now a totally unrelated question - how does one post one of those wonderful emoticons like you have above (under the chair)? I love them but am technologically challenged!

 

[iwiw60]

Haha. And yes, they would inspect! Thank you for the great suggestion.

Now a totally unrelated question - how does one post one of those wonderful emoticons like you have above (under the chair)? I love them but am technologically challenged!

When you click on reply and you type your post you'll see above the white box area a string of icons (Size, A, B, I, U, etc. The one that looks like a small smiley? Click on that and a whole bunch of them come up, then just click on which one you want to use!!

 

[The Mother Hen]

Easy thing to do is show them where to go. Pick up the chicken in their sleeping coop or in a closed area (so you can grab them easily) and place them in the nesting box. Doing this for three days or so should help them find their nesting area.

 

[alebuela]

When you click on reply and you type your post you'll see above the white box area a string of icons (Size, A, B, I, U, etc. The one that looks like a small smiley? Click on that and a whole bunch of them come up, then just click on which one you want to use!! e

Very good. Thank you! I'm going to have to use my computer, rather than my phone, because the phone doesn't have the string of icons such as you describe. But now I know. And I love the little guy running back and forth!!!

 

[iwiw60]

Very good. Thank you! I'm going to have to use my computer, rather than my phone, because the phone doesn't have the string of icons such as you describe. But now I know. And I love the little guy running back and forth!!!