I have some new additions to my flock all four months old. They are getting along with the mature birds about as well as their pecking order will allow. The problem is that some of them have decided to roost in the nests and are doing their usual business there as versus under the roost with the rest of the flock. Any suggestions how I can change this annoying habit?
That's not unusual. these gals are young, and feeling bullied, so they're retreating to the nice warm nest boxes at night. The only thing that has worked for me in this situation is to block off the nest boxes late in the afternoon, and get back out early in the morning to open them back up again. You can also go out every evening, and pull them out of the boxes, and set them on the roosts.
Ditto lg's post. Is there plenty of roost length for all the birds? Can you put up another roost just bit lower than the main one for the pullets? My experience was that I had some pullets that the older birds wouldn't let roost with them so the pullets wanted to roost in the nests. I put up another roost just a couple inches lower than the main roost and began removing the pullets from the nests after dark and putting them on their roost. Did that for a couple nights, then started going in at dusk and poking them in butt if they got into the nests(I have 'outside the coop' access to my nests boxes so this was easy). Pretty soon all I had to do was walk in and they would leave the nest and go to the roost so they didn't get poked in the butt. Took about 3 weeks total before they got in the habit of always roosting on the roosts instead of in the nests.
Yes, Aart. Good point on plenty of roost space and the benefit of a lower one for the newbies. i also utilized the butt poke for my nest huggers.