in new coop ROOSTING IN NEST BOXES!!

[princess araucana]

just finishing up all the bells and whistles in the new coop including some beautiful roosting bars, but they have been roosting in the nest boxes!

The new coop is bigger with more windows so I think they like feeling safe and enclosed.

Should I build curtains around the roost bars to make them feel safer?

Any suggestions?

 

[BroomFarm]

Some pics will be essential to offer advice on how to resolve this, but the answer is usually that the roosts are too low/not numerous enough, or that your nest boxes are too high. Generally speaking, they'll just go to the highest point they can find, to roost, so make sure that is NOT your nest boxes.

We had to put a false front over the area just above our nest boxes, cuz one of our confused girls thought that was a great place for a snooze.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

We didnt open our nest boxes until we seen our first egg. The following week almost all the girls were laying and in the nest boxes. If you open them up to soon they think they are little hotels to sleep in. Just shut them off until they start to lay.

 

[cmom]

I opened my boxes up at 16 weeks and got my first eggs at 17 week. Make sure your roosts are higher than your nest boxes.

 

[princess araucana]

they are already laying and gladly laying in the box!

But you guys might be on to something with the whole which ever is higher.... THe nest boxes are at same height as bar. I will try to raise it.

pics coming soon!! I can't find my dang computer cord!

 

[Dixiedoodle]

My nest boxes are lower than the roost and I find the lower of the 'pecking' order girls in the nest boxes. I think I will add a few dividers on the roost to see if that settles the problem..