Nest boxes

[crooked stripe]

My chicks are now 6 weeks old and have started climbing into the nest boxes. They spend hours in there sleeping and defecating. Will this stop when they start to lay? I can just imagine the mess all over the eggs if they don't stop. I thought about blocking off the nest boxes till they get older but not sure if it is the right thing to do. John

 

[LynneP]

John, you don't mention if they have a roost slightly higher than the lower lip of the nest boxes. If not, it might help to provide one.

 

[crooked stripe]

They have 3. One 6" off the floor, one just above the entry to the nest boxes and one above the nest boxes. They seem to use them all. The tallest is 4' off the floor and they seem to like it best. John

 

[chickflick]

Block off the nest boxes until they're older...like when they're about 4 months. They'll get into a bad habit if you don't. What I did back then, is to go in after dark and take them out of the nest boxes and put them on the roost...until they learned that's where they suppose to be. Be sure it's too dark for them to jump down and go back into the boxes. Good luck