How important is it...

[fshinggrl]

...that the hens not use the nesting boxes for night time? I heard of people blocking them off until they are of laying age. Is there a purpose?

 

[newchicksnducks]

The main reason for not allowing the hens to use the nesting boxes as sleeping boxes is the mess. They will dirty the boxes and when it is time for egg laying, the eggs will be covered with feces. Try to cover the boxes until the hens are of laying age. I've learned it is best for the roosts to be higher than the boxes. I've discovered from practical experience that if you use a droppings board under the roosts, clean up in the coop is soooo much easier

 

[Judy]

Right. Pretty important, since the germs from the poop can migrate into the egg. It is not recommended to try to incubate poopy eggs for this reason.

 

[fshinggrl]

Thank you! I will find a way to block them off.

 

[cmom]

I would close off the nest boxes until they are ready to lay. Also I would make sure the roosts are higher. The birds tend to go to the highest spot to roost. My original roosts were at the same height as the nest boxes. I have raised it to just above the boxes. It's no fun when they get used to sleeping in the nest boxes and then you reach in and get poopy eggs. This happened to me in the beginning. I thought it was cute. I finally got tired of cleaning the poopy eggs and the poop out of the nest boxes..

 

[fshinggrl]

I wish I had an option of having the roost higher than the nesting box but we got a coops that was second hand. It would take a ton of effort to remodel it. THank you!

 

[wohneli]

I had the boxes unblocked for a while and they made a mess so I blocked them off. After a few weeks I found the first egg in the coop and unblocked them. They do not make a mess in them and they lay there.
Good luck

 

[fshinggrl]

LOL Ok, I'm going to block them off. Had to share my story though... last night when I went to shut them in their coop, there weren't too many up on the roost. Come to find out there were FIVE, laying head to tail in ONE of the nesting boxes! LOL It was a funny sight!