Should I cover my nest boxes?

[zDoc]

I'm new to this and was wondering if I should cover my nest boxes when I introduce my little girls to their new home? They will be about 4 weeks old and I'm not wanting them to get up in there and get it all poopy

before they are even close to laying age. I was thinking I would cover it until they are 14 weeks, what do you think?

 

[Olive Hill]

Make sure you have roosts higher than the nest boxes and chances are they'll have little interest in the nest boxes until it's time. Personally, I don't close mine off and don't have any problem keeping them clean. If they have a good long time to get used to the nest boxes as a safe, quiet part of their every day environment I find they're more likely to choose them as a place for laying.

 

[herefordlovinglady]

i don't cover mine, i have a flock of 10 week olds and they have shown no interest in going in them. i keep straw and shavings in the boxes so it will be easy to clean out should they get in there and make a mess.

But, i do not see a reason why covering them would be a problem either. I will keep an eye on this thread to see if i learn more good information on byc....

 

[RAWR]

naw, just let'em go
nesting boxes are for eggs., broodys, sleeping in, and on some occasions they're fun to play in
and your boxes will get nasty anyway why not let the girls have some fun?

 

[teach1rusl]

When you say "cover" your nest boxes, are you simply talking about blocking them off??? At four weeks, your chicks probably won't even use the roosts yet. I don't think mine roosted (on my real roost) until they were about two months old. If you're nest boxes are on the floor, the may go inside them, so I would block them off. But if they're elevated nest boxes, you probably won't have to worry about it (at least anytime soon). Do make sure your roosts are higher than your nest box perch, and they will prefer the roost.
Now if you're talking covered nest boxes verses open nest boxes, I would say to cover so that, when your birds get a little bigger, they don't perch on the dividers of the boxes, which could result in poop in the nests.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I suggest keeping them locked out of the nest boxes until they are about 16 weeks old so they do not get used to sleeping in there. I'd like their first choice of where to roost (once they get old enough to roost) to be the roosts, not the nest boxes. They are creatures of habit and what they get used to is what they like to keep doing. As others said, it is probably not a problem, but I don't see that it hurts.

It is possible (highly unlikely but possible) that one could start laying as young as 16 weeks, but opening the nests early gives you time to see if they are going to try roosting in there and pooping so you can correct the problem before you get dirty eggs. I also like to have them open with a fake egg in there to try to influence them to start laying in the boxes. If one starts laying an egg somewhere other than in a box, they often keep laying where they started instead of moving when you open the nests. Creatures of habit.

 

[zDoc]

Thanks for all your quick reply's, I think I'm going to go with what Ridgerunner said and keep them closed off for a while longer until they get in the habit of being on their roosts.

Thanks again,

zDoc