Opening up nesting box

[ninafe]

Hello! My four chicks are getting to the point of laying in about two months. Their nesting box is currently closed off so they don’t get into a habit of sleeping in there. As a matter of fact the divider fell off one night and they all went into the nesting box and slept and pooped there all night.

When it’s time- how do I tell/show them that the nesting box is now open for access BUT only for laying?

 

[azygous]

How old are the chicks now? How long have they been given free access to the coop?

The answers to these two questions will give us an idea of how much more conditioning they need to lose the idea they can sleep in the nest and how long it will be before they can be expected to want to investigate the nest boxes to satisfy their instinct to lay.

Have these pullets begun to roost yet? Once they learn to roost, that will help them get rid of the idea that nests are splendid places to sleep.

 

[ninafe]

The chicks are about 8 weeks old. They are ISA browns so I heard they start laying a bit early like around 16 weeks. They have been in their coop with an attached run for 3 weeks now and they have been doing well. During the day they hang out in the run and at dusk they go into their coop on their own to sleep. In the coop I currently have the nesting box section blocked off.

The roosting part is completely my fault. I have a prefab coop where the roosting bars are way lower than they should be so the chickens don’t use them at all. They just cuddle up on the pine shaving underneath….

 

[azygous]

Isa Browns reach point of lay, on average, around 22 weeks. Therefore, keep the nests blocked until your pullets reach around 20 weeks. Then unblock the nests during the day so they can explore.

By this time, they will have learned to prefer roosting to sleeping exposed on the floor or try to take over a nest at night.

 

[3KillerBs]

When I started this flock I opened my boxes at about 18 weeks and put golf balls in them to give them the idea that this is a good place for eggs.

Successive generations of hens show the POL pullets where to put the eggs.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The roosting part is completely my fault. I have a prefab coop where the roosting bars are way lower than they should be so the chickens don’t use them at all. They just cuddle up on the pine shaving underneath….

Consider raising the roosts - most prefabs can handle an alteration like this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-in-nest-boxes.1134399/page-2#post-17749535

 

[ninafe]

Update- I added a higher bar in the coop for them last night. At first they went in and stood on it but soon all jumped off and cuddled in a pile in a corner like they always do.... Then this morning I saw that they were all sleeping outside the coop. This is the first time in a long time that they came out of the coop before sunrise.... Does that mean they dont like the bar?

 

[ninafe]

By this time, they will have learned to prefer roosting to sleeping exposed on the floor or try to take over a nest at night.

Can I trust them to just learn to roost on their own as they come to age? They seem to do that on and off but ultimately still all prefer to cuddle on the floor to sleep...

 

[azygous]

Most chicks, by instinct, seek out the highest places in a coop on which to sleep. Some of us have had to resort to blocking off window ledges and horizontal wall supports, and nesting boxes to try to corral the youngsters to focus on roosting perches instead.

Personally, I teach my five-week old chicks to roost on the perch when I first move them into the coop from their brooder in the run. It takes me only a couple of nights placing them on the perch, and then they are eagerly hopping up on their own.

About the only problem I ever faced was a couple of chicks wanting to roost on me instead of the perch.

 

[rayrose]

When they"re old enough, they will go to the roosts
on their own.