Question about sleeping habits

[Los Pollitos]

We have our nesting boxes on one wall in the back of the coop, little ladder going up to it. On another wall, I made these great roosts for them, slanted out from the wall, bottom rung about 2 feet off the ground, each succeeding one a foot or so higher. Well, the birdies never sleep on their roosts---instead, they cram together on the beams that are right in front of their laying boxes! Why don't they like their roosts? Oh, they're 9 weeks old.

 

[MissPrissy]

They don't need nesting boxes now. Block them off and teach them to roost on your roost ladder. You do not want to train them to poop and sleep were they are to learn to lay eggs.

 

[Los Pollitos]

Great suggestion--thank you so much. Makes perfect sense! Shouldn't be too hard to get down. Once it's down, you think they'll start sleeping on the roost since that's what's there?

 

[MissPrissy]

You will have to go out at roost time and put them on the roost. You are the mother hen and must teach them what to do.

You don't have to take down the nest boxes. Just block them.

 

[maine egg man]

I had the same problem and like miss priss say's just cover them I used a piece of cardboard and will take it off when they are 18 - 19 weeks old than I plan on putting a couple of golf balls in the nest, as this is what i learned reading this site