Laying Eggs Nesting Box Question

[ZANEYchickenguy]

Hello BYC,
My 5 Rhode island red pullets are 16 weeks old I already have bought their nesting box from TSC. Does anybody know when I can put the nesting box in the coop? I haven't put out layer feed or oyster shell yet, but I don't know when.
tx.

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Hello BYC,
My 5 Rhode island red pullets are 16 weeks old I already have bought their nesting box from TSC. Does anybody know when I can put the nesting box in the coop? I haven't put out layer feed or oyster shell yet, but I don't know when.
tx.

I would stick it on one of the edges of the coop near a door.

 

[neo71665]

You can put the box in now. They will use it when they are ready but don't be surprised to find random eggs all over at first.

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Oh when...! I thought you said where for some reason. Yes put it in now.

 

[ZANEYchickenguy]

Okay, I will put it in know

 

[ZANEYchickenguy]

Thanks to everyone!

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Thanks to everyone!

No problem!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Does anybody know when I can put the nesting box in the coop?

Short answer - now.

Long answer is the same, now, but it comes with reasons. As long as the roosts are higher than the nest boxes the chickens should sleep on the roosts and not in the nest boxes. You do not want the chickens sleeping in the nests, they poop at night and you don't want poopy eggs. But occasionally one or more chickens decide they want to sleep in a nest. If they are going to sleep in a nest I want time to fix it before I get poopy eggs. If they start sleeping in the nests get back on here and we can try to figure out why.

About a week before pullets start laying they often start looking for a good place to lay. If the nests are not installed the pullets can't consider them as a good nest. I can't guarantee that they will lay in those nests even if they are available but you could be training them to lay somewhere else if they are not there.

 

[ZANEYchickenguy]

You can put the box in now. They will use it when they are ready but don't be surprised to find random eggs all over at first.

Random Eggs??.... What do you mean?

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Random Eggs??.... What do you mean?

Eggs randomly placed all over the different places of the coop and yard.