pre-laying pullets / nestboxes?

[Moselle]

Should I keep the nestboxes closed off to the pullets until they get closer to laying age?

 

[Wooden_Pony]

I did because they liked to sleep in the boxes.

I took the board off of the boxes once they started sleeping on the roost and got closer to egg laying age.

 

[SillyChick]

Yes, it's best to close the nest boxes for a while because they like sleeping there instead of using the roost and will get used to it. This will prevent them from getting the habit of sleeping in the nest box.

Good luck! Hope they lay delicious eggs soon!

 

[SillyChick]

Whoops! Double-posted! Darn it!

Very sorry!

 

[Moselle]

Thanks - I will keep them closed for the first few weeks then. That certainly makes sense.

 

[SunsetChickens]

Our girls had no interest in the next boxes whatsoever until they started squatting. We made sure they slept on the roost (which they also learned to do on their own), but we weren't even sure if they could jump up into the boxes. (They seemed so high up!)

Then they started squatting, and — as if by magic — they realized that the nest boxes seemed to be pretty amazing places to hang out in the afternoon. Next thing we knew, they were laying there.

 

[Wildsky]

I had older Bantams when my standards were little - I couldn't close the nest boxes for that reason - the bantams were laying but the standards werent' - they never went into the nest boxes - they LOOKED but didn't go in.....

My standards learnt to use a roost to sleep on when they were still in the brooder, so the nest box wasn't something that looked like a BED to them!

 

[smnytx]

tagging onto this post...

It just occurred to me that my three girls are now 20 weeks old and probably getting ready to lay... I have had the nest boxes closed off since we built the tractor. Should I take of the "wall" right away? I can do it in the morning, or right now (in the rain).

What should I put down in the nest boxes? I know hay is good, but I don't have any just now.

FWIW, my girls are one production red, one BR, and one EE. All were hatched on or about 9/26/07.

Thanks for any info!