New chickens sleeping in nesting box

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

Hi! I'm new here and I'm a first time chicken keeper! We have 3 easter egger pullets around 15 weeks old that we've had for a week now. All is well and they seem to be getting used to us. They have a small coop and 17 foot run plus a free range area (they haven't ventured into the free range area yet). They seem to spend a lot of time in the nesting boxes when in the coop. And at dusk, they all pack into one box to sleep. We changed out one of their roosting bars to a 2x4 for better flat footed space. They use it a bit in the daytime, but seem to still like the boxes best. Could this be that they are just getting used to their new home and they'll figure out the roosting bar in time? Or is it an issue that needs addressing before they start laying?

 

[aart]

Thanks everyone. I haven't decided if I will block off the boxes or wait and see how they do as they get older. The roosting bars are higher than the boxes. It's only been a week lol maybe they'll catch on...

I'd take care of it more assertively, they will probably be laying in a few weeks so you want to break the habit sooner rather than later.

 

[Isadora]

I would block off the nesting boxes until they're ready to lay. The last thing you want to do is inadvertantly train them to sleep and poop in the nest boxes.

 

[neo71665]

They will most likely lay anywhere first and when you find the stray egg that's when you know they are laying. Once that happens open the box up and put a golf ball in there as a nest egg to train them to lay in the box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is the roost bar higher than the nests? Raising the bar, if it's lower, will appeal to their desire to sit higher up to sleep for the night.

 

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

The default roost bars are really low. Without a photo of your actual coop I'm not sure where your new roost(s) sit, but they really should be about here at least, if there's enough headroom and landing room:
View attachment 3115570

The bar that's directly in front of the nests is in an awful spot, any bird roosting there could poop into the nests. Roosts should be a minimum of 14-16" apart and 12" away from walls (or nest box entrances). How wide is the coop (internally)? With 3 birds it's possible a single roost will do so no reason to have the 2 bars.

I wondered if they were too low. And I agree, one is too close to the nesting boxes. We can raise the 2x4, but I might need to be a little higher than where you indicated because there is a window there. The width of the inside is 26" and they can easily fit on one roost. Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

You get so many different opinions on here about practically everything. That's because so many different things work and we all have different experiences. I've seen anywhere from 7" to 15" per chicken recommended for roost length and that's not taking the size of your chickens into account. For your three EE's I'd think 26" of roost length would work, after all they are not Jersey Giants. And you are not integrating, that small coop would be a real challenge in many respects for integrating. I always like more room on the roosts, in the coop, and in the run but from where and how I've seen chickens sleep I don't anticipate any problems with 26".

Some people have strongly formed opinions on what shape and size a roost should be. They have their reasons where a flat roost is best or a round one is best. Many can quote studies to prove their point, whichever point they have. Some even believe a chicken can't grip with their toes. You just read all kinds of things. One of the more popular is that they need to be on a flat surface so they can cover their toes in cold weather. One person on here that I trust said that does come into play at around -20 F (-30 C). Until then, not really. I don't have direct experience below -10 F (-23 C), I haven't seen any problems with smaller or round roosts. But that's just my experience. I wonder, if they need a flat surface to sleep on when it is below freezing to protect their feet, do they need a small round roost in the heat of summer to stay cool?

I've seen a fully grown full-sized rooster choose to sleep in a 1-1/2" diameter tree branch when larger roosts were available. I've seen chickens choose to sleep on shelves a foot wide. In my opinion people care about the shape of the roost a lot more than the chickens do. I don't see anything wrong with a 2x4 flat or a 2x4 on edge. I can't tell how big of a diameter those dowels are that came with your coop. They are probably big enough, other people use those coops and they usually work. For three hens that coop should be big enough.

That should be enough elevation difference for the roosts to be noticeably higher than the nests but it's not working for you. You need to maintain access to the inside of your coop, that can be a problem if you don't have a walk-in coop and you don't. If you want to raise the roost some maybe you could drop hangers from the roof as supports?

It looks like you don't have good access to place them on the roosts in that coop. I think your best bet is to block off the nests for a week or so to retrain them where to sleep. Once it is dark and they are on the roost don't worry about checking on them and seeing where they are sleeping. Just use a flashlight and peek in.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I close it when temperatures approach freezing. It's glass so light still gets in.

 

[Opiumbrella]

Hi! I'm new here and I'm a first time chicken keeper! We have 3 easter egger pullets around 15 weeks old that we've had for a week now. All is well and they seem to be getting used to us. They have a small coop and 17 foot run plus a free range area (they haven't ventured into the free range area yet). They seem to spend a lot of time in the nesting boxes when in the coop. And at dusk, they all pack into one box to sleep. We changed out one of their roosting bars to a 2x4 for better flat footed space. They use it a bit in the daytime, but seem to still like the boxes best. Could this be that they are just getting used to their new home and they'll figure out the roosting bar in time? Or is it an issue that needs addressing before they start laying?

It’s fairly normal. They are nervous. They will get older and more brave and likely stop this behavior. I’ve had dozens of younger hens do this, and none ever kept on sleeping in the nesting boxes past laying age. Just be sure to clean them out. Some people don’t like them sleeping in there, some don’t care. If it doesn’t bug you and you just keep it clean there should be no issue.

 

[Chickadeedeedeedee]

Thanks everyone. I haven't decided if I will block off the boxes or wait and see how they do as they get older. The roosting bars are higher than the boxes. It's only been a week lol maybe they'll catch on...