Opening up the nesting boxes

[Attila]

When is the best time to open the nesting boxes? My hens are coming up on 14 weeks.
I also have 3 silkies that are 7 weeks that I am trying to mix into the flock.
The one thing I'm worried about is that the silkies will try to hide or try to sleep in the nesting boxes, to get away from the bigger hens.

 

[Attila]

Anyone?

 

[cathiesue]

I don't have little birds so i can't address that part of your question. I have freestanding boxes and put them in the coop at 18 weeks. They sat with ceramic eggs in them for another 3 weeks. I'm pretty sure the heat around here had something to do with the slow start in laying. I have a Black Aussie that started first and the 2 of my Buffs started. So far that 's all. The last of my buffs seem less mature (paler, smaller comb and wattle)

 

[gardendufus]

I also don't have small birds. But I opened my nest boxes at 16 weeks. My girls ignored them for a week or two. Then one started digging out a nest. My Barred Rock started laying at about 20 weeks. I think as long as your roost is higher than the nest boxes and your girls have 'adopted' the roost already as their sleep area you shouldn't have a problem with them sleeping in the boxes. I have another barred rock and an astralorp the same age as the laying barred rock. They are both squatting and have been for weeks, but still no eggs from them. SIGH. Patience is a virtue in this situation.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think you have a valid concern, especially since the young ones are Silkies. They can't fly so roosting can be problematic.

First though, I suggest opening the nests now. Chickens can start laying as early as 16 weeks. That is really unusual but it can happen. 18 to 20 weeks or even later is a lot more normal for the first egg from a flock. They are creatures of habit. You want that first egg to be laid in the nest, not somewhere else.

I would want to know if you have a problem before they start to lay so you can work on fixing it before you get eggs with poop on them. Also, the chickens will almost certainly play in the nests before they start to lay. If they scratch the bedding out, they are telling you that you need to raise the lip on the front of the nest.

It is possible those young Silkies will try to sleep in the nest boxes to avoid the older birds. I'd guess at that age they are still sleeping on the floor and not trying to roost. Not all Silkes try to roost but are sometimes content to sleep on the floor, while others will want to get up high. Older chickens can be pretty mean and brutal to younger birds on the roosts as they are settling in at night. I've had regular breeds of young birds leave the roosts because of that brutality. They can start sleeping in the nest boxes even if the roosts are higher than the nest boxes and even if they had been used to roosting on the roosts. I've had chicks raised by broodies do exactly that. They are used to sleeping on the roosts, but when the broody weans them, they get picked on so much they leave the roosts and look for a safer place to sleep.

What I suggest if you have room is to build a separate roost, lower than the regular roosts and separated from them a bit. Make them higher than the nests but not high enough to tempt the older chickens to switch to them. Then give the silkies a way to get to them. such as a ladder or just a pole on an angle they can walk up.

Good luck!!!