Getting pullets to sleep on the roosting bar?

[brents]

I use milk cartons to block them out of the nesting bok. Just one in each.

 

[grenbean1]

I bought a cheap table cloth at the dollar store and Velcro, at night i covered the nesting boxes with table cloth and pulled in down i the morning. Only took a couple of weeks to get them readjusted. I cut tablecloth in halph and put the Velcro on wood above nest boxes and then put the other Velcro on table cloth. Goes on and off very easy. You need to get strong Velcro. Cost about $5 for all.

 

[Jonathan w]

block the nesting boxes off at night so they cant get in them, just be sure to unblock them in the morning so the other chickens can lay eggs in them

 

[44Wolves]

They are the only ones in there. And I like the ideas of milk jugs, I will try that out after I wash some out. Last night I came in and saw 3 of them one the floor, the 4th had squeezed next to a ball, in a nesting box. So I out them on the roost, there was some commotion, but I left them alone for 5 minutes, and they had all snuggled up and sat down. Good sign!

 

[Thebadchicken]

I had or have the same issue. I have since built this roll out "incorporated" nest box system that I thought would limit the problem. It worked for a while. Now they seem to be sleeping in there again! the last few nights I have been taking them out and putting them on the roosts. I think I am going to try the curtain idea I seen in another post. And yes the screws have been cut off!

 

[paddydoda]

I'm having the same problem with 4 pullets they are roosting on the nest boxes pooping into them and in return when the layers lay there eggs they're covered in poop so I usually go out before they go on the roost and put wood over the nest boxes it works as lo g as u don't forget like yet day I got home late and low and behold there they were back in the nest boxes pooping away ! persistance will pay off my boxes are 4 over 4 and they favor the top boxes so when I think the others have finished laying for the day I cover the top ones off hope this helps !

 

[RoseMarie1]

How can I get my 4 pullets to sleep on the roosting bar? Right now, they only sleep in a certain nesting box, and lots of poop accumulates in it, and it just gets really messy. They know the bar is there- at least I have seen two of them on it. Whenever I take one of the other 2, who I have not seen on the roosting bar, out of the coop, the 2 of them will hop up into their roosting bar and start peeping for their sister to come back. Either way-- they will not sleep up there, and the nesting box is becoming a pain. Will they just go up their in time or do I need to train them in some way?

Could you put a piece of ply board up over the nesting boxes?

 

[Attila Kara]

If your birds are not of laying age then block off the nesting boxes. Chicken are creatures of habit. Block the boxes off and they will look for another place to roost. Just remember that when they are getting close to laying age open the boxes back up.

 

[cluck cluck 123]

You can't really make them sleep on the roost.

 

[ckooiman]

They are the only ones in there. And I like the ideas of milk jugs, I will try that out after I wash some out. Last night I came in and saw 3 of them one the floor, the 4th had squeezed next to a ball, in a nesting box. So I out them on the roost, there was some commotion, but I left them alone for 5 minutes, and they had all snuggled up and sat down. Good sign!