Nest box timing

[ChickPeas]

When do you place nest boxes in the coop? My crew is almost 16 wks. old. Should I wait another 4 weeks or place a box in now?

We just got them in the coop last night for the first time.....I was wondering if I should let them acclimate first.

TIA!
Liz

 

[jessica117]

I might wait a few days, but I'd go ahead and get a box in there. You never know, a nice fluffy nest might encourage them to lay

 

[crooked stripe]

Not an expert here but I would put the nest boxes in now. I know from trial and error that when I made changes to the coop due from lack of good planning on my part they shy away from new things. Mine just turned 20 weeks today and the nest boxes have in the coop for a couple months. They stayed out of the nest boxes till they started to lay last Wednesday. Hope this helps out a little. John

 

[arlee453]

Personally, I'd wait another couple weeks. You want them to get in the habit of roosting on the roost in the coop before you put in the boxes.

That way they will roost on the roosts, and lay in the boxes and you will have nice clean eggs. When they get in the habit of sleeping in the boxes, you end up with poopy eggs, and a hard habit to break.

Or if you are concerned about upsetting them, then put the boxes in, but leave them blocked off with cardboard, etc until they are well estabilished sleeping on the roosts.

 

[jessica117]

HAHAHAHA..... sleeping on roosts.... the only place mine want to sleep is one the roofs of the nesting boxes. (And all the nesting boxes were added long after the roosts were.)

Jess