Nest box and chick getting inside to lay

[bobbieschicks]

Do I have to have a board or something for my chick to use to get into the nest box? I noticed that someone has been playing around in the one that is closest to the ladder. So does that mean I should get something for her to climb or jump up onto to have access into the nest boxes? I thought it might be needed - so today I hammered in a 2x2 across in front of the nest box to give her some additional platform into the boxes. I don't have a pic of that yet. Will the 2x2 be sufficient or should I do something more substantial? Or was the 2x2 too much and I should have left it alone? The ladder leads up to the manure board and roosts. I almost took it back out but the bigger birds are using it to walk up and down. The littles just fly up and down.

Here's the set up before I did the 2x2:

thanks,
Bobbie

 

[M.sue]

Looks fine to me. They'll know how to get in. We do have a roost in front of our boxes for them to jump up onto...I've seen them walk the roost when deciding which box to go into. As for your chicks using the ladder....it's convenient for them so they'll use it.

 

[chfite]

I have a roost that runs along the front edge of the nesting boxes, so they can be at the same level of the nest before entering. I don't know better, but figured they would be better off if they didn't have to the fly straight into the box from the floor. My nesting boxes are 24 inches from the floor of the coop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't have any experience with Silkies so I am not sure about them and their vertical abilities, but the other breeds you show in your signature would have no problem at all with what you show in the photo. The 2x2 did not hurt anything at all, but wasn't really necessary. My full sized hens can easily jump that high to get to the nests without even flapping their wings.

Hopefully someone with Silkies will see this and comment.

 

[waterchicken]

I don't have Silkies... Yet

But I am planing on getting some in the coming year.

The coop ~ I'm going to have the Boxes very near the ground, those with another set of Boxes on top will have a platform and "ladder" to get onto it (as they're not good flyers.)