Nesting boxes are beds/toilets...will my girls ever lay in them

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funnyfoshay said:
My girls are 13 to 17 weeks old. they have decided to perch on the walls of their nesting boxes so their nightime deposits land IN the nesting boxes. Will they ever lay where the s&*%?

Do I have to set up a secluded "clean nesting box that they might find more appealing to lay their eggs in. I have 9 girls---hoping to give away 2. Do I need 1 or 2 nesting boxes for 7 to 9 hens?
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Cover the tops so they can't hang over the edge. It won't take them long to find other perches, especially if they are higher up than the nest box edges.
 
sourland said:
Until you establish proper roosts at a proper height they will continue to perch on the edge of the nest boxes.
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Can you tell me more. if you look at my photos...I am kinda stuck with the design of the nesting boxes.

should I put another ladder in- I have the other side of the ladder which they were using as a bed/roost everynight in the pen until I put this ladder inside.

Then they were using the ladder then one night I noticed most of them were sleeping in and on the boxes- the rungs of the ladder are higher but only one girl likes it there. Are the rungs too wide...should I just try the other ladder?

so confused.
 
funnyfoshay said:
They are going to start laying soon so I got to get this figured out!!
Click to expand...

See that roosting bar you have going perpendicular to your boxes? Install another one parallel to the nesting shelf but higher up - above the tops of the nest box walls. I'd mount a 2X4 - wide side up - at about the height of the one supporting the back of the roof. If you put it on short supports (think "flattened ballet bar,") it will keep their tail ends out of the nest boxes. Your girls will likely prefer the wider ledge to that narrow box wall - and the higher level will appeal to their sense of security.

If you can't block the boxes off completely, set an upside down bucket or flimsy flower pot in them until the girls start laying. You can remove them once the eggs start coming. and by then, they should all be accustomed to roosting where they belong!

Good Luck!
Oh - and BTW, you have a very lovely bunch of young ladies, there! A regular rainbow!
 
MROO said:
See that roosting bar you have going perpendicular to your boxes? Install another one parallel to the nesting shelf but higher up - above the tops of the nest box walls. I'd mount a 2X4 - wide side up - at about the height of the one supporting the back of the roof. If you put it on short supports (think "flattened ballet bar,") it will keep their tail ends out of the nest boxes. Your girls will likely prefer the wider ledge to that narrow box wall - and the higher level will appeal to their sense of security.

If you can't block the boxes off completely, set an upside down bucket or flimsy flower pot in them until the girls start laying. You can remove them once the eggs start coming. and by then, they should all be accustomed to roosting where they belong!

Good Luck!
Oh - and BTW, you have a very lovely bunch of young ladies, there! A regular rainbow!
Click to expand...
My gosh, Thank you SOOO much. Very detailed and helpful tips. You make it sound like I can pull this off too!!
 
Thanks all. gonna try some stuff....
IMG_20180716_135548986.jpg
 

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