Roosting...do I need to remove straw bales?

[BYchicks4us]

I have a 4x8 hen house for our 4 hens and 1 roo (16 weeks). I have 3 bale of straw, 2 are against a wall and go up toward the roof. The chickens all huddle together up there since we blocked off the nest boxes after reading the posts on here. Should I remove the bales? There is a wooden ladder half for a roost from one side to the other on an ascending angle. I've tried putting them on it but I think they get off and go back up on the bales. Do I need to keep putting them back on the roosts? The other roost in the run, they use occasionally during daylight hours. AND when do we unblock the nest boxes? Thanks to all the very knowledgable folks on here!

 

[Fred's Hens]

I left a couple bales of straw where the chickens could get to the top of them once. My own distracted, busy, ignoring of it allowed them to really "settle in" on the straw bales. Needless to say, when I got to chasing them off the bales and removing the straw, the top was covered with poop. Just saying. I've since re-built the barn and included a straw loft. The loft can hold 16-20 bales and it stays nice and clean up there.

 

[BYchicks4us]

Thanks. I may just have hubby put in an 'attic' and store the extra up there. Now I'm wondering if we provide 'bedding', what is the purpose of it if they are supposed to roost at night? when do they roost? bed? and nest ??? totally confused.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The bedding is important, as the bedding catches much of the poop. There are days and days when the chickens spend most or all the time in the coop, due to weather. The bedding gets soiled much faster during these days of confinement.

The birds mostly roost at night, to sleep, but sometimes certain birds will come into the coop and roost during the day, for awhile. They might do this when they are tired, or just wish to feel more secure, perhaps.

Nests are purely for egg laying. There's no need for nests with young birds, as they would just sleep in them and soil them.

 

[BYchicks4us]

Awesome. thanks so much for the help. They do go back inside usually right after they come into the run to eat in the a.m. after they free range for an hour or so. and then again in afternoon for a short time. Just didn't know if they should be on roosts then too. They just lay around on the straw bale that has spilled out over the original pine shavings and DE.