My chicks went out into their coop a few weeks ago (8 weeks old now) and just this week have taken to sleeping IN their nesting boxes. All 5 of them piled up on top of one another in 2 boxes! The first time they did this, I thought something happened--I checked on the coop and didn't see them--they normally had been sleeping on a roost! I laughed when I saw them all piled up in there.
However...after 3 nights of this, the boxes are full of poo AND I don't really want them used for sleeping, do I?
Today I put hardware cloth in to block off the boxes. At bedtime, they chirped LOUDLY and ANGRILY for a long time, poking at the wire and piling up all over one another to try to get up there. They were more stressed than I had ever seen them!
Is it okay for chicks to sleep in the nesting boxes?? Maybe it's a good thing? I put straw in the boxes as opposed to the pine shavings in the rest of the coop--maybe they just like straw and I should make a pile in the coop?
Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
However...after 3 nights of this, the boxes are full of poo AND I don't really want them used for sleeping, do I?
Today I put hardware cloth in to block off the boxes. At bedtime, they chirped LOUDLY and ANGRILY for a long time, poking at the wire and piling up all over one another to try to get up there. They were more stressed than I had ever seen them!
Is it okay for chicks to sleep in the nesting boxes?? Maybe it's a good thing? I put straw in the boxes as opposed to the pine shavings in the rest of the coop--maybe they just like straw and I should make a pile in the coop?
Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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