New Chicken Farmer needs help with new babies

[chicken farmer MD]

Quote:
Thanks for the help. Why do I cover the nesting boxes? Can I use plastic sheeting and tack it in place, or do I need to board it up? The coop is 4x8 x8 feet tall. The nesting boxes are about 18 inches off the floor and extend to the outside (in order to retrieve the eggs from the outside). They really like to sit on the edge of the nesting boxes and look at the "little people" below scratching the bedding!

Thanks again!

 

[new-roo]

I am gonna go out on a limb and dissagree about rehoming a chicken that is in an ENCLOSED run, it has nowhere but its new home to go. Rehoming is necessary with birds that are gonna be freeranged. They can go nowhere but the coop and run. I would let them have a choice of going out or not.

For the question about blocking off nest boxes, you dont want them sitting/roosting in nest boxes because with that comes what comes out of the back end of a chicken and since they are too young for eggs it will only be one thing. You wont want that in with eggs when they come either. By not allowing them access to boxes till they are ready to lay they will be set in thier habits of where to roost, and nest boxes will be used for laying and not just for hanging out. You can put plastic across the front that would work.