My first EE egg is getting closer!!!!!!!!

[vjbakke]

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Mine have been doing that as well, mainly at night when I got to shut the coop door for the night. I am hoping they are checking out the nest boxes and not sleeping in them instead. I have had to clean poo out of the boxes as well. I think to night I will go out and see if they are sleeping in them. If they are how do you put a stop to that?

 

[Chickenpoor]

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Some of them are around 20 weeks and the others are around 19 weeks.

 

[Chickenpoor]

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It usually does, they are looking at/inspecting places to lay when they start laying.

 

[Chickenpoor]

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Mine have been doing that as well, mainly at night when I got to shut the coop door for the night. I am hoping they are checking out the nest boxes and not sleeping in them instead. I have had to clean poo out of the boxes as well. I think to night I will go out and see if they are sleeping in them. If they are how do you put a stop to that?

How close are your roosts to your nesting boxes? If they are close to them and the nest boxes are as high or higher than the highest point of your roosts you could try lowering the height of your roost. I read on here before that chickens like to get as high as they can to roost and if there is no room left at the highest point on the roost poles they may see the nests and think that is just as high I will roost there. Also do you have enough room for all of them on the roost poles?

 

[vjbakke]

Quote:
Mine have been doing that as well, mainly at night when I got to shut the coop door for the night. I am hoping they are checking out the nest boxes and not sleeping in them instead. I have had to clean poo out of the boxes as well. I think to night I will go out and see if they are sleeping in them. If they are how do you put a stop to that?

How close are your roosts to your nesting boxes? If they are close to them and the nest boxes are as high or higher than the highest point of your roosts you could try lowering the height of your roost. I read on here before that chickens like to get as high as they can to roost and if there is no room left at the highest point on the roost poles they may see the nests and think that is just as high I will roost there. Also do you have enough room for all of them on the roost poles?

We have two roost, they were using the one that is not by the nest boxes now they all go to the roost that is right in front of the nest boxes. They are at the same level as the nest boxes. Our coop is set up in a way that we really can't move the roosts any higher.