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nesting box

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by vabrown1, Nov 18, 2009.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Nov 18, 2009 #1
    vabrown1

    vabrown1 Out Of The Brooder

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    Jul 19, 2009
    when would be the right time to introduce the nesting box? i want them to use it, not roost in it. They are 13 weeks now. Is it the right time?
     
  3. Nov 18, 2009 #2
    gkeesling

    gkeesling Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Nov 24, 2008
    Hagerstown, IN
    it still might be a bit early. They won't start laying probably until 20-25 weeks. Also, be sure to put their roost higher than the nest box. they will try to roost at the highest place. I had some hens try to sleep in the nest boxes. I covered the nest boxes at the end of the day so they couldn't get in there. After a few days of this they started going to the roosts rather than then nest box.
     
  5. Nov 18, 2009 #3
    BackyardZooKeeper

    BackyardZooKeeper New Egg

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    Nov 18, 2009
    Hi girls n guys, I'm new To the site. I just recently dealt with this same befudlment. I have 3 buff orp hens and 3 barred rock hens. It took longer than I expected for my girls to roost instead of sleep all crammed in their nesting boxes. But they all seemed to "grow up and out of it" at the same time. They progressed from sleeping IN the box to On the box to above the box. I put a heftier top on
    my boxes and they enjoy the space to tuck in for the night. Some just take longer than others to at normal.
     

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