Girls haven’t been in Nest Boxes

[jlebows]

Ok thanks!

 

[jlebows]

Ok thanks!

Sounds like I’m not gonna have to fix too much. One last question, sorry. I am up in Maine and wanted to create as much room as possible for the ladies as I assume they will spend some time indoors this winter. Fir this reason I left the space under the boxes open. What are the odds I will find them nesting there on the floor? Should I close it off? Here is a picture of the area under the boxes.

 

[wyoDreamer]

There is a slight chance that they will lay in there. But I wouldn't worry about it until they do, because they may never do it. My chickens have laid eggs in some pretty weird places over the years, but probably 99% of the eggs are laid in the egg boxes.

 

[rayrose]

Are you using any fake eggs in the boxes to entice them to lay there. My girls started laying early and all over the place. When I opened up the nest boxes and placed wooden eggs in them, they went right to them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would not close it off. That would make a great place for Mommy Mouse to raise a family or three this winter. If the hens have access Mommy Mouse will not be nesting in that area.

As wyoDreamer said, they could nest anywhere. There are plenty of other spots just as likely as that for nests. Usually they will lay in the nests but none of this comes with guarantees. I still like your chances.

 

[jlebows]

Thanks everyone. I put fake eggs in but I don’t think they have even looked in. I think I need to add a lip and maybe a perch to make access easier, it’s tighter than it looks to get up there from the floor due to the layout. I’ll make minor adjustments.

 

[rayrose]

I would not close it off. That would make a great place for Mommy Mouse to raise a family or three this winter. If the hens have access Mommy Mouse will not be nesting in that area.

As wyoDreamer said, they could nest anywhere. There are plenty of other spots just as likely as that for nests. Usually they will lay in the nests but none of this comes with guarantees. I still like your chances.

I close them off, until they're ready to use them. I don't want them sleeping in the nest boxes.

 

[aart]

I close them off, until they're ready to use them. I don't want them sleeping in the nest boxes.

Best to 'train' them not to sleep in nests before eggs come along.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I close them off, until they're ready to use them. I don't want them sleeping in the nest boxes.

I don't want them sleeping in the nests when there will be eggs in the nest. If you wait until they start laying you may train them to not lay in the nests. If you let them have access to the nests early they may show you some design flaws like I mentioned above. But most importantly it's as Aart said, I want to know if they are going to sleep in the nests when the nests become available so I can fix the problem before I get poopy eggs. If you wait until they are laying to find out if they are going to sleep in the nests it's too late.

Blocking the nests until they start to lay will not stop them from sleeping in the nests when you open them up if they are going to sleep in them when the nests are open. You just wait too late to find out.

 

[rayrose]

My birds don't sleep in the nests, because the nests were never available to them. They were trained to sleep on the roosts. Now, they only go in the nests to lay eggs, never to sleep. You can train your chickens to do whatever you want them to do.