Introducing nesting boxes

[HollysFlock]

I have seventeen 10-12ish week old pullets (I hope) and I have taken made the nesting boxes inaccessible to them so that they do not learn to sleep there. When should I make them available? One of my larger red sex links has a red face which from my understanding can be a sign of maturation and she is also making little nests in the coop unlike the others. I don't want to cause her or the others stress by leaving the nesting boxes unavailable for too long.

Any thoughts?

 

[Oscgrr]

I can only speak to what I've done. I had nesting boxes available from when mine were about three months old. My nest boxes are outside with an opening inside the coop and a hinged top so I can get the eggs out without going inside. I put hay in the boxes, the coop has wood shavings on the floor, and golf balls in the nests. They have a good roost so they sleep on it and not in the boxes. Occasionally I found golf balls knocked out of the boxes but they never slept in their nests. I guess, if you have a decent roosting area then it's likely more comfortable for them to sleep there than in the boxes.

I read somewhere that if you put a flap, canvas or something, over the opening of the nest boxes then they'll keep out except when they lay. I had intended on doing that but never got around to it and now that there's no problem, I don't feel the need to cover the opening.

Hope that helps.