Keeping Hens From Roosting in Nest Box

[Blue Tiger]

Any ways people do this on a regular basis? I am getting ready to stock some pullets into coops where they will be blocked off from nest boxes until they start roosting some place else.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't block off my nests as I always have older hens laying. Yet I almost never have a problem with chickens wanting to sleep in the nests. I could block them off after the hens have laid for the day and open them back up after they are on the roosts but I don't like working harder than I have to.

The way I manage this is to have roosts available that are higher than the nests. That's the simplistic answer, it can get more complicated.

They have to be able to get up to and down from the roosts. If your coop is small they may not have enough room to spread their wings and fly up or down. If the floor is too cluttered they may not have a clear landing space. You may need to use ramps. ladders, or stepping stones to get them up and down. This can be an advantage in having a coop bigger than the minimum, but we have what we have to work with.

I don't think you have this problem this time since I don't think you have older chickens. My pullets are usually afraid to sleep on the main roosts with adults until they mature enough to force their way into the pecking order. Mature hens can be pretty brutal in enforcing their pecking order rights on the roosts so immature pullets typically look for a safer place to roost. That can easily be your nests. I solved this issue by putting up a juvenile roost lower than the main roosts, higher than the nests, and separated a few feet horizontally from the main roosts to give them a safe place to roost. I typically keep 10 to 15 pullets until they are 8 months old so I can evaluate their laying before deciding which ones to keep and which ones to eat. I used to have a lot of problems with them sleeping in the nests until I put up that juvenile roost. Now I may get one sleeping in a nest every three or four years. Much easier to deal with.

If you don't have older hens laying there is nothing wrong with closing the nests until they are roosting somewhere else. I'd want that to done and the nests open before they start to lay so I would not be training them to lay somewhere other than the nests.

Good luck!

 

[sourland]

What @Ridgerunner said.

 

[Blue Tiger]

Pullets all coming at same age and not yet in lay. Roost and coop space should be an issue with about a 1 foot per pullet and they are able to go outside in to about a 1/2 acre area during day. The pullets numbering 18 are split evenly between three coops. The night time manure is what I want and it need not be lost in nest.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Still not sure how big those coops are or what the relationship of roosts to nests is, but try it and see how it goes. As I said there is nothing wrong with blocking those nests when they are not real close to laying, it could be a decent precaution. But try it to see if you have a problem. If your roosts are higher than the nests you probably won't.

 

[Blue Tiger]

Roosts at same level as nest with only inches between roost and nest. The coops each have two roost poles that are about 3 feet long. Coops are 3 foot wide and 8 foot and with another roost in run part as big as the regular roost near nest. The chickens will be in coop probably at night and when laying eggs when they do need so much room. That means they have a little over 4 square foot per chicken just to sleep and lay eggs.

The roost are not kind you can move.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Roosts at same level as nest with only inches between roost and nest. The coops each have two roost poles that are about 3 feet long. Coops are 3 foot wide and 8 foot and with another roost in run part as big as the regular roost near nest. The chickens will be in coop probably at night and when laying eggs when they do need so much room. That means they have a little over 4 square foot per chicken just to sleep and lay eggs.

The roost are not kind you can move.

Post a photo. We might be able to help.

 

[Blue Tiger]

I am looking to see if rules of thumbs followed. I have method in mind and looking to see if it follows the typical rules of thumb out there for comparison. My ideal is to have chickens roosting up over my head and nest at waist to chest level several feet away at least. The current deal has 3 comparatively small coops that I can temporarily modify. The coops are the imported variety put together from a box. All three of same design and rated for 8 birds. Confines, based on personal experience, recommending by manufacturer are too tight.

 

[Blue Tiger]

Need to go back and take pictures of inside.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are you altering those coops for more space? You mentioned having roosts at head height but they're not even 4 1/2' tall. Also not sure how you calculated that there's 4 sq ft per bird inside those. The coop itself is what they're calling the "hutch area" which is 34.4 x 36.4, not quite 9 sq ft. Good for 2 birds each.

You could alter them so the entire unit serves as a coop but if that's the case I'd recommend adding your own nest boxes at floor height or just above that, which gives you plenty of room to put a roost lengthwise that sits up higher to encourage birds to use it.