putting in laying boxes later

[naturababe]

i've read a lot about trying to prevent chickens from sleeping in the laying boxes. can you just put them in the coop later? i mean if a chicken doesn't start to lay until it's 5ish months can i just leave the boxes out of the coop until then to "train" them to sleep on the roosts?

 

[CityChook]

yes. leaving the nests out until you need them is perfectly acceptable.

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

agreed.

I had to board mine up until time. I just inherited a chicken who didn't have this training, and she's a nest box sleeper, and for the first time I'm getting poopy eggs. Now she gets pulled out and put on a perch every night.

 

[12GAGirl]

My DH put our nest boxes in after the flock had been placed in the coop and once he finished them they had already were in the habit of using their coop and never did roost in the nest. My flock seemed to know exactly what to do when they started laying and I only found a few scattered eggs and now at 7 months old everyone uses the nests and I rarely find misplaced eggs unless they have a traffic jam at the nest boxes and then they will lay in the coop. I also didn't put any nesting materials in the nest until I found the first egg and then I put some hay and golf balls in the nest. This worked like a charm!

 

[LizShaughnessy]

12GAGirl, why did you put golf balls in the nesters? I'm new to this.

Thanks

 

[SaltLakeSpice]

The golf ball is just an egg like thing to cue the hens that the nest is the place to lay eggs. Other people use plastic or wooden eggs. My pops just used egg shaped rocks from the yard.

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I put my nest box in from day 1 and never had a problem. I have two roost bars which are a little higher than the nest box so they went for the roosts right away. As for the golf balls, I didn't use any or any fake eggs and my hens used the nest box to lay eggs in without any problems. I think for the most part, if you just give your hens the features which are naturally within their character, they will use them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I made the mistake of not opening mine up until I got my first egg at 18 weeks. The first pullet that laid selected a place on the coop floor for her first egg and laid there even after I opened up the nest boxes. I finally broke her of that by locking her in the nest box for about a half hour (until she had laid the egg) when I caught her setting on the floor in her laying spot.

Keeping the nest boxes locked up until they are ready to lay is perfectly acceptable, but I do recommend opening them up around week 18 so they get in good habits from the start. Most hens will not start laying that early, but some do.

As far as putting fake eggs in the nest to show them where to lay, I have never read anyone on here say where it hurts to do that and I think it does help show them where to lay. I do it. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong. It is just what I do.