Nesting Box or No Nesting Box

[DestinysChicken]

We finally moved our three chicks (almost 6 weeks old) outside last night to their new coop and they seemed to like it...playing around all day in the run and coop.
Question: since they are so young and wont be laying eggs for at least another 4 months, should we board up their nesting boxes and not give them access to them? I dont want to encourage them to eat/play/sleep/POOP in there if that is supposed to be for them to lay in later. Or does it not matter? they are still rather small inside of a Large coop and may feel more secure sleeping tightly together in the nesting box?
Thanks for all the comments and adviice!

 

[chicmom]

That's a real good idea. That way, they won't develop any bad habits like sleeping in the next box and pooping in there. Nobody likes poopy eggs......

Then open the nest boxes around 17 weeks or so.

Sharon

 

[dianaross77]

I agree. Block them off. *says the lady with 2 silkies sleeping in a nesting box*

 

[Fred's Hens]

Absolutely, remove them, block them off, etc. Having poop and play in the nesting boxes is a no no.

 

[pkw]

I didn't block my chicks from the nest boxes. When you got hens and non laying pullets around though it is kinda hard to do that. Doesn't matter because the pine shavings in my nest boxes gets removed and fresh pine shavings put in.

 

[jeri40]

Our chicks are 18 weeks old and this week we got three eggs. We had our nesting boxes closed so the eggs were on the ground. We opened the boxes, put in straw with a golf ball after finding the first two eggs. How do we did the chicks to start using the nesting boxes? We have 8 ISA browns and two RIRs and don't know if only one chick is laying since we're not sure when the first two eggs were laid.

 

[cmom]

I agree, block off your nest boxes unless you want poopy eggs when they start laying. It is better to break them now then later. The birds should figure it out. Mine did. I have Isa Browns, RIRs and RIWs.

 

[dianaross77]

Quote:
You can use dummy eggs to leave in the nestbox. I borrowed my daughter's wooden eggs from the toy section at Kmart. You can also use golf balls or just put an egg in there and leave it for a while. Just make sure you don't eat that one.

You can write on it so you know which is the sacrificial egg.

 

[jeri40]

Hooray! One egg in the nesting box and so far none on the ground today.

 

[countrycluckerskaren]

Keep an eye on them. My latest round of peeps started laying at 3.5 months old. Blockthem off but when the first egg appears open them up and put in some golfballs to show them where they need to lay the eggs. They will learn.