Pullets using nest box to sleep...can I break them of this habit?

[noraflood]

Hi.. I'm new to the forum. We have 13 week old pullets. As a new chicken owner, I didn't know that we were supposed to block off the laying nests until they are ready to lay, and my chickens have developed the bad habit of sleeping each night (all 5 of them) in or on the nest box. Any suggestions for how I can break this habit? I can see how it would cause problems once they start laying.

Thanks

 

[onedozenphyllises]

You could block them off for now by placing something large in them that would effectively prevent them from going in. If they're 13 weeks, it sounds like you still have some time to correct the problem.

 

[noraflood]

Thanks. I'll give it a try. They are so darn cute all cuddled together in the box...but I'm going to get hard-hearted and block them out tonight!

 

[Uppity Peon]

Yes, and if they huddle together on the floor, try lifting them up to the perch when they are sleepy.

spelling edit

 

[gritsar]

It helps if your roosts are higher than your nestboxes. Chickens naturally want to go as high as possible to sleep.
Try blocking off your nestboxes for now. If the problem continues you may need to go into the coop at night and move them to the roosts. You may have to do this for several nights in a row and be consistent about it until they are broke of the habit of sleeping in the nests.
I found it helps to use as little light as possible when you go into the coop to move them. Too much light and they will get up and start moving around. I use a penlight.

 

[noraflood]

Thanks. I've blocked the nesting box, and I'm trying to contrive a way to raise the roosts higher. The tip about moving them at night is helpful, since I'm a night owl, and they go to bed early.

We'll see how it goes. I've got a while to wait until they lay, so I hope they will adjust.

 

[cmom]

My birds were sleeping in the nest boxes. I put milk crates in the nest boxes in the evenings and took them out in the mornings for a week. It seems to have worked. I did it with my hens and with my pullets. Also I put a golf ball in each nest box. I also made sure the roosts are higher than the nest boxes. The birds tend to go to the highest spot to roost. My original roosts were at the same height as the nest boxes. I have raised it to just above the boxes. It's no fun when they get used to sleeping in the nest boxes and then you reach in and get poopy eggs. This happened to me in the beginning. I thought it was cute. I finally got tired of cleaning the poopy eggs and the poop out of the nest boxes..

 

[noraflood]

Cute pics!

Tonight's report: I blocked the nest box and tonight the pullets are all roosting together normally on their roosts. I'll keep blocking the nest day and night until they are closer to laying time, unless there is some reason they should have access to it during the day when they aren't laying?? (They sometimes like to go into the shade of the coop and sit in the box to rest in the heat of the day.)

 

[cmom]

You have plenty of ime to correct this behavior. My first layers were 17 weeks.