Well, my girls will be 20 weeks on Christmas day. I'm not getting TOO excited with the time of year, etc that I'll get eggs right away, but their combs are getting redder by the day. I'm just waiting for them to lean over and ask for a back scratch - Don, I may need you to come down here - they'll probably squat for you right away since you are all experienced in the world of chicken back rubs... LOL
At any rate, they are 17 wks tomorrow. When I first moved them into the new coop, they liked to roost on the ledges of the nest boxes. To discourage this, I stapled up coroplast to block them so they couldn't roost there and since then they all roost on the roosting poles, no prob.
How soon should I remove the coroplast so they can get in the boxes again?? And, how soon should I put in a golf ball or two to give them the idea??
I have already figured I'd just uncover the ones closer to the front of the coop, since they all like to roost back in the way back, darkest and most sheltered part of the coop.
I really don't want to be collecting eggs covered in poo... BUT I also want them to have access to the boxes at the right time so I don't end up missing eggs because they don't know where to put them.
At any rate, they are 17 wks tomorrow. When I first moved them into the new coop, they liked to roost on the ledges of the nest boxes. To discourage this, I stapled up coroplast to block them so they couldn't roost there and since then they all roost on the roosting poles, no prob.
How soon should I remove the coroplast so they can get in the boxes again?? And, how soon should I put in a golf ball or two to give them the idea??
I have already figured I'd just uncover the ones closer to the front of the coop, since they all like to roost back in the way back, darkest and most sheltered part of the coop.
I really don't want to be collecting eggs covered in poo... BUT I also want them to have access to the boxes at the right time so I don't end up missing eggs because they don't know where to put them.