Nesting box question

[Wildcow7]

Hi everyone! I am wondering what people do with their nesting boxes when their chickens are young! I have had mine closed up so they couldn't get in them (read this somewhere) now I opened them up because I have chickens of different ages. My oldest ones are 15 weeks and they have the look of a chicken ready to lay and have started squatting and vocalizing. The problem I have is most of the others are only 12 weeks and they now think the nesting boxes are to roost and poop all over in!! They have more than enough roost space but choose to sleep in the nesting boxes!! What do I do??

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Simple solution is to go out each evening and move them out of the boxes and onto the roost......a few repetitions usually does the trick

 

[andreanar]

I'm in the same boat as you, having some close to laying and some clearly not. I do as Ol Grey does and move them to roost at night. But that doesn't stop the littles from perching on them during the day and pooping in them. Ugh. I just keep cleaning the poop out.

 

[sourland]

Having the roosts located higher than the nest boxes can help with this problem.

 

[Wildcow7]

Thanks I will try that!

 

[Taysherm]

I removed the dividers and straw. My chicks weren't interested in it until the straw, dividers and fake egg were there.
I also have great roosting bars about 24" above the nesting box. The still sleep on the roost all the time. The roost is near the vents in the summer and up high where the warm air is in the winter.

 

[andreanar]

Having the roosts located higher than the nest boxes can help with this problem.

My roosts are higher than the nests, and they all roost on it at night, but during the day or morning time, before I get up and let them out, the younger ones like to perch there on the nests lip! Little snots.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Hi everyone! I am wondering what people do with their nesting boxes when their chickens are young! I have had mine closed up so they couldn't get in them (read this somewhere) now I opened them up because I have chickens of different ages. My oldest ones are 15 weeks and they have the look of a chicken ready to lay and have started squatting and vocalizing. The problem I have is most of the others are only 12 weeks and they now think the nesting boxes are to roost and poop all over in!! They have more than enough roost space but choose to sleep in the nesting boxes!! What do I do??

@aart Closes/blocks the nest boxes about an hour before roosting time.
Open them after everyone is roosting, or before sunrise. GC

 

[aart]

@aart Closes/blocks the nest boxes about an hour before roosting time.
Open them after everyone is roosting, or before sunrise. GC

I sure do...made a permanent, tho cobbled, hinged cover out of the angled board that kept them from roosting on top of the nests.
Much easier than dragging them out of the nests every night for weeks.
Last year it took 2 months of that...
....this year 2 nights and they were roosting with the big birds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for posting a pic of your set up, Aart. I have an angled roof over my top nest boxes. Covered it with a tarp style feed bag. The perches in front of that set of nest boxes fold up to block them off. The lower boxes are not as enticing, since they are at floor level. However, I have a piece of plywood with key hole slots that drop over a couple of screws to block those boxes off if needed. The broody nest area also has a door that can be closed as needed.