How many chickens fit into a nest box?

[babyrnlc]

Why 4 in each one, if they are my crazy 5 month old girls. So how can I get them to stop sleeping in the top nest boxes (which noone will lay an anyway). 4 of them cram into each one. Two of my older hens sleep on the top of it (even though it is slanted) and the long roost has only a few chickens on it.

Sorry about the poor quality photo (from my iphone), but this was too funny. I keep finding poo in there, so I thought I would see what was going on. I laughed so loud. They were in there zone and did not really budge.

 

[Fred's Hens]

They are sleeping on the top row, because a chicken naturally gravitates toward high roosts, tree boughs, to sleep. They feel safer, up away from perceived danger.

Nesting boxes, in my view, ought not be accessible to young pullets. They'll just poop in them, as chicken do a lot of pooping in their sleep. I don't want soiled nests. Nesting boxes shouldn't be available to pullets until just before they are actually laying.

If nesting boxes are mounted too high, the birds will choose them over the roosts. A pullet needs to master sleeping on roosts first. Hope that helps. They've got some "un-learning" to do.

 

[babyrnlc]

I only have one coop so they have to have access to the nest boxes or the older girls wouldn't.

The nest boxes are the same level as the roost.

I thought if putting something in there over night but one of my girls lays over night. They lay on the bottom ones but if I block these I am sure the chicks will move to the lower ones. The bottom is washable but I am tired of cleaning the boxes every day!

 

[Farm_Maven]

your roost should be higher than your nest boxes. I had the same problem with mine til I lowered the boxes to ground level (the only thing that might get to them other than the chooks is a mouse possibly, haven't seen any evidence of it yet).