I don't know how to title this but it has to do with roosting and nesting boxes.

[Sylviaanne]

I was watching some YouTube videos about hatching, brooding and other things when a video came on that said something about not letting the chickens roost in the nesting boxes.

Is there a reason for this?

We have bought a shed to use for a chicken house/storage for them. I want to put some nesting boxes inside but when I saw that above, I wondered what I should do. I have chickens and ducks laying eggs all over my yard and now that I have a bigger place for them, I'd like some chicks.

 

[Pyxis]

They just make an awful mess when they sleep in there and get them all poopy and get the eggs covered in poop too. Definitely put nesting boxes in your coop, but put the roost up higher than them and the chickens will most likely not sleep in there - unless one goes broody!

 

[Sylviaanne]

Well, they weren't very clear about what they were saying, that is the reason I am asking but they made it sound like the birds weren't allowed to roost any where near the nesting boxes.

Another poster to YouTube uses 18 gallon totes for nesting boxes and I really liked the way they looked but if I stack them two high I am afraid that they will poop on the top of the top tote but if I make the stack 3 high, I am afraid they couldn't fly up to the 3rd one. I really want to try the totes so maybe I'll just put them on the ground, not stack them. Sylvia

 

[Pyxis]

I use five gallon buckets and the round shape keeps them from roosting on them. So that's another thing you could try!

 

[Sylviaanne]

How do you keep the eggs from falling out? Thanks, Sylvia

 

[Pyxis]

Here's a picture! I just cut bucket lids to the size I needed and fitted them over the bottom of the opening:

They are really great because they are easy to clean and if you have a broody you can just pick the whole bucket up with her in it and move her out of the way.

 

[Sylviaanne]

You have a very nice set-up. The chickens really don't sit on the rounded sides? How do you keep the floor so clean? Thanks, Sylvia

 

[Pyxis]

Nope they don't! They slide if they try and they don't feel stable and they don't like that so they just avoid it entirely. That's actually the floor after hauling the shavings out. Normally it looks like this:

But when it's coop cleaning day you can see the tarp floor.

 

[BriskRooster]

Nope they don't! They slide if they try and they don't feel stable and they don't like that so they just avoid it entirely. That's actually the floor after hauling the shavings out. Normally it looks like this:



But when it's coop cleaning day you can see the tarp floor.

Nice neat pen, is the outside cover like tarp or a canvas material?

 

[mixmaster]

Also helps to keep ur roosts higher than ur nest boxes... they naturally go for the highest spot. so its important to make the boxes over head level and under roost level.