My chickens won't go in nests

[chickengeorgeto]

Quote:

.... I don't know a lot about supplemental lighting myself. But from reading from my Chicken Owners Manual ...it states that hens need around 14 hours of daylight to maintain good egg production. It also says that a 9 watt warm wavelength fluorescent bulb provides more than adequate additional lighting for an area of approximately 200 square feet. I have no idea what a 'warm wavelength' fluorescent globe is...

I too am unfamiliar with the term "warm wavelength fluorescent bulb" but I suspect what is meant by it is a full spectrum fluorescent light that is about as close to natural Sun light as one can come indoors and at night to real Sun Light. These bulbs are sometimes prescribed by doctors to persons suffering from depression caused by winter time light deprivation. If they'll help a 175lb human they should do wonders for a 5lb hen.

 

[iwiw60]

Iwiw, I just heard of the squat today... My chickens won't let us get near them. I don't know why. The only way we could is when we feed them, as they become very excited and no longer care about anything except that "crack" we feed them. We tried to keep them friendly, but it never stuck to them. The only one in my household who can easily catch a chicken is my son. He'll randomly come out of the coop holding a chicken, by the legs, to show us what he can do. My son is two years old, by the way... a two year old chicken whisperer. When we care sneak in a pat, or a stroke as if to pet, they will kind of squat, it's more out of... anxiety, maybe? Just a reaction, they've been doing it since they were chicks.
I know it's almost winter, but I am in central Texas. Mornings are chilly, but the afternoon will still see 70 degrees and sunny. We did have a cold front a few weeks ago, and that may have kicked in the rest cycle (before it even got started). But it is by no means cold yet, that won't happen until late December or early January.

How cute...a 2-year-old chicken whisperer!!

To try and get your girls to become more calm and unafraid of you you might try this: take a bucket or old boat cushion and go in the run with some mealworms in your pockets. Be quiet and talk really softly to them. Just sit out there.....hold a few in your hand and just sit.....mealworms are the true "crack" for chickens and it will take some time but they'll come and get them for sure! Don't be afraid of the 'pecking' on your hand...it really doesn't hurt. Just keep talking to them quietly. You might do this every few days and the reward for your time is immense...just an idea for you!

 

[jonlafoy]

Thanks for the replies everyone, and happy Thanksgiving!!
This is all wonderful advice. My chickens just finished the last of the scratch, so tomorrow we'll buy adequate feed. I managed to find seven golf balls and my kids painted two wooden eggs, they are all in the nests now. I've been looking into solar lights and it's fairly simple, it'll be a fun project.
I also looked at the nests, and they are definitely going in them now, which is Good. But I think they are sleeping in them, which now I know is bad. Hopefully with the mock eggs they'll reconsider.
Thanks again for everything!

 

[krista74]

I also looked at the nests, and they are definitely going in them now, which is Good. But I think they are sleeping in them, which now I know is bad. Hopefully with the mock eggs they'll reconsider.

Hi again!

It's not uncommon, as chickens progress towards being ready to lay, for them to start spending significant time in the nest boxes. They will hop in and out (and in and out and in and out and, well, you get the picture!) of each nest, fluff around in the hay/shavings, throw some out on the floor, put some on their backs, and generally have a whale of a time getting familiar with the nests.

You might also find that the rooster (if you have one) will hop in with them and fluff about too! If he is a good boy he will lead the girls to the nests on a regular basis, bok-ing and carrying on like a pork chop, to try and get them interested in going into the nests and being productive too.

This is all one during the day time though, so if your girls are starting to sleep in the nest boxes at night time there are two things you can do: (1) Block access to the nests at dusk (for overnight only) and (2) Ensure that your roosts all sit higher up than the nest boxes. The natural tendency is for them to want to roost at the highest point in the coop, so maybe raising your roosts will help.

Glad to hear that you put some fake eggs in the nests. This won't help them lay any sooner (that is a maturity thing which can't be influenced) but when they DO start laying they will know the appropriate spot to do so.

Good luck! It's an exciting time, waiting for those first eggs!

- Krista

 

[iwiw60]

Hi again!

It's not uncommon, as chickens progress towards being ready to lay, for them to start spending significant time in the nest boxes. They will hop in and out (and in and out and in and out and, well, you get the picture!) of each nest, fluff around in the hay/shavings, throw some out on the floor, put some on their backs, and generally have a whale of a time getting familiar with the nests.

You might also find that the rooster (if you have one) will hop in with them and fluff about too! If he is a good boy he will lead the girls to the nests on a regular basis, bok-ing and carrying on like a pork chop, to try and get them interested in going into the nests and being productive too.

This is all one during the day time though, so if your girls are starting to sleep in the nest boxes at night time there are two things you can do: (1) Block access to the nests at dusk (for overnight only) and (2) Ensure that your roosts all sit higher up than the nest boxes. The natural tendency is for them to want to roost at the highest point in the coop, so maybe raising your roosts will help.

Glad to hear that you put some fake eggs in the nests. This won't help them lay any sooner (that is a maturity thing which can't be influenced) but when they DO start laying they will know the appropriate spot to do so.

Good luck! It's an exciting time, waiting for those first eggs!

- Krista

EXCELLENT post, Krista! Your ideas/advice is spot-on.....kudos!!

 

[jonlafoy]

Krista, thanks for all the advice. I saw that someone else had mentioned to make sure the perches are higher than the nesting boxes. They currently are, by a few inches. We might add one or two higher ones just in case. I took a peek in there last night, and none were sleeping in the boxes. Some were in top, and some on the perches. So the droppings and feathers I found in the boxes were probably what you were talking about; going in and out.
There was one that was on the ground on the other side of the coop... she's always done that.
I tried to post pictures of our set up, but it won't work on the mobile version of the site. I'll see what I can do.
Thanks again!!

 

[AZGardenFarmer]

Hi. Give them the shells from your eggs. Be sure to rinse out the Egg Goo. The shells also give them more nutrients they need, to produce. My uncle has raised and judged shows at the State Fair here. He fed his the shells and told me to do the same when he gave me my 1st hens. It does help especially when Spring arrives here in mid March.

 

[krista74]

I took a peek in there last night, and none were sleeping in the boxes. Some were in top, and some on the perches.
There was one that was on the ground on the other side of the coop... she's always done that.

Hi again

Sounds like everything is going smoothly for you. When you say that some are "sleeping on top," do you mean on top of the nest boxes? I wonder if that is indicating that some of your girls prefer a wider perch? I have some BO's and RIR's - all big girls, and they don't like to roost on a narrow round perch. Instead, I put in roosts which were lengths of 2"x4", and turned the wide side facing upwards. Instead of them gripping a thinner narrow rail, they now sit flat on their feet - it's much more comfortable for the bigger girls, and protects their feet from frostbite when it's cold too. Just a thought - maybe that might be why some of your girls are sleeping on top of the nest boxes? It's something to consider anyway.

Another thing is the distance between roosts. Quite often the bigger birds have trouble getting up to them, because the roosts are too high for (BO's in particular don't like to jump up high.) I put in stadium style roosts for my girls, about a foot apart, and they simply 'step up' the roosts one by one until they are at the top. You should also consider what I call 'flapping space.' Sometimes we put in adequate roosting space for the birds but don't allow for the fact that our girls need to be able to flap their wings and stretch out in order to be able to actually get up to it! If the last one or two birds are flapping and knocking the other birds off the roost in the process, someone always ends up sleeping on the floor. Poor birdie!

The one sleeping on the ground - how old is she? Again, if she is a big girl, maybe she finds your current roost uncomfortable or too narrow for her? If she is younger (like under 15 weeks) you can train her to the roost by gently picking her up when it's dark and placing her on the roost. It usually only takes a few days and the habit is formed. By no means am I an expert, these are just some things I've learned from my own personal experiences. There is just so much to think about, isn't there!

Best wishes,

- Krista

 

[jonlafoy]

Krista, you are a wealth of knowledge!!
Yes, they will sleep on top on the nesting boxes. Their perches are pretty thick, about four inches (the are logs we cut) and there is plenty of flapping space if they all sit on it. I think they get on top, because at night they bunch up, probably for extra warmth. They get so close that sometimes I'll miss one when counting them.
The one that sleeps on the ground, she as is also about seven months. We bought elven about six and a half months ago, and then ten more about three-ish months ago, making 21 total. She, we call her crazy Susan since she is always by herself, got into the habbit of sleeping on the ground early, unfortunately. When they were a few months old, we put them in a temporary open style coop/run. Inside the fence coop was a three by two box with legs that they used as a sleeping box. When they were small, they all fit, except for Crazy Susan... or she didn't think she did. So now, she chooses to sleep on the ground out of habbit. I'll try to train her to go on the perch, even if she is older. It's always worth a try!
Also, I think they bunch up so close is because they might be slightly cold, or maybe out of habbit when they were in the temporary coop. The coop is made out of cedar logs so there are gaps that the wind could penetrate. We are actually in the process of closing them up and they won't be a problem soon.
Thanks again for the wonderful advice!!

P.S. I know that RIR is Rock Island Reds, but what is BO??

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Krista, you are a wealth of knowledge!!
Yes, they will sleep on top on the nesting boxes. Their perches are pretty thick, about four inches (the are logs we cut) and there is plenty of flapping space if they all sit on it. I think they get on top, because at night they bunch up, probably for extra warmth. They get so close that sometimes I'll miss one when counting them.
The one that sleeps on the ground, she as is also about seven months. We bought elven about six and a half months ago, and then ten more about three-ish months ago, making 21 total. She, we call her crazy Susan since she is always by herself, got into the habbit of sleeping on the ground early, unfortunately. When they were a few months old, we put them in a temporary open style coop/run. Inside the fence coop was a three by two box with legs that they used as a sleeping box. When they were small, they all fit, except for Crazy Susan... or she didn't think she did. So now, she chooses to sleep on the ground out of habbit. I'll try to train her to go on the perch, even if she is older. It's always worth a try!
Also, I think they bunch up so close is because they might be slightly cold, or maybe out of habbit when they were in the temporary coop. The coop is made out of cedar logs so there are gaps that the wind could penetrate. We are actually in the process of closing them up and they won't be a problem soon.
Thanks again for the wonderful advice!!

P.S. I know that RIR is Rock Island Reds, but what is BO??

Close - RIR is Rhode Island Red (unless maybe auto correct got you?) -- BO is Buff Orpington.
For sleeping on top of the nest boxes - any flat surface is fair game for chickens, it just begs for them to get on top of it and explore. The downside is, where they stand, they poop - and pretty soon all those flat surfaces are covered in chicken poop. For any place you don't want them, that isn't needed to be flat you can take away the flat surface - for example, a simple "roof" installed over the top of the nest boxes that sits at a 45 degree angle. Our nest boxes are built with one to prevent exactly this issue and most can be pretty easily and cheaply modified.