new coop..chickens don't want to use it

[getaclue]

Give them time, and they will use the roosts.

 

[Cryss]

Success! Tonight was night 5 and I wasnt home to put the light on and when I came home it was pitch dark and all the girls were in the coop!! So I locked the door..but not before noticing they are all huddled on top of the nesting boxes and not using the perches since they aren't quite ready to lay (combs are pink etc) should I take the nesting boxes out for now? I just wonder if that would make them choose the perches. The perches are 2×3s flat side up and not high up. The low one is slightly lower than the top of the nesting box and the high one is a few inches higher. I am pretty sure the problem is the chickens not the roosts.

Because the nesting boxes are the highest point that is why they perched there. Make all your roosting bars the highest point even if only a few inches. Since they aren't old enough to lay eggs either cover the openings so they can't get in or remove them. You don't want them to sleep in there. That will become a habit and they will poop in the nests getting eggs very dirty.
Also, the light outside might be keeping them outside if it shines on them. Let them realize it's dark so they go to bed before you turn on the lights.

 

[getaclue]

Yes, the roost should be slightly higher than the nest boxes.

 

[wildwestcoast]

I'd leave the nesting boxes. They start getting curious about them around POL (point of lay). By then, they'll be used to them being in there. Don't fret when they first start laying that they lay in the run, or somewhere other than the nest box. It takes a bit of time for them to get it all coordinated. Don't be surprised when they will only use 1 nest box, no matter how many you have in there. That's typical hen behavior.

Yes I put golf balls in the boxes to give them the idea, that works well. I just have the 2 boxes for 6 hens I have noticed that they often like to use the same one.

 

[PirateGirl]

GENIUS!! The light trick worked like a charm! Many thanks!!!

Yes! I was hoping you haven't been chasing them on your hands and knees every night since you first posted!

As far as the roosts go, at first I took another board and leaned it against the perch so they could climb it like a ramp to the perch. The young pullets thought this was great fun. They didn't use it for sleeping initially but eventually they did and once they were bigger I took the board away.

 

[Criticalicious]

In addition to blocking off the nest box access and making roosts higher than the nest boxes, I went an extra step and picked mine up off the floor and stuck them on the roost bars at night. At least to give them the idea. A ramp helps if the roosts are extra high up.

 

[wildwestcoast]

Yes! I was hoping you haven't been chasing them on your hands and knees every night since you first posted!

As far as the roosts go, at first I took another board and leaned it against the perch so they could climb it like a ramp to the perch. The young pullets thought this was great fun. They didn't use it for sleeping initially but eventually they did and once they were bigger I took the board away.

Yes lol the only crawling around on my knees has been trying to get my daughters cat out from under the motorhome as we were trying to be on time for school this morning haha. But back to chickens..the roosts arent high. I'll take a pic tomorrow to show how I have them set up. Maybe it's just a chicken teenager thing?

 

[wildwestcoast]

In addition to blocking off the nest box access and making roosts higher than the nest boxes, I went an extra step and picked mine up off the floor and stuck them on the roost bars at night. At least to give them the idea. A ramp helps if the roosts are extra high up.

I tried putting them on the roosts but they hop down and onto (not into) the nesting boxes.

 

[Cryss]

Yeah, make the roosts higher than the top of the nesting boxes.

 

[aart]

but not before noticing they are all huddled on top of the nesting boxes and not using the perches

Put something on top of nests to keep them from roosting there.
An angled board works great.