Sleeping in Nest Boxes

[ChooksinIowa]

My nest box sleepers are the heaviest breeds I have - usually the light brahmas and a couple of huge black hens that I don't know the breed of, but they have beards and they are enormous. If I kick them out of the nest box, they go back in. The roosts are about 3 feet off the ground. The nest boxes are on the ground. Maybe I need a roost at 1 foot or something?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
IMO, for the heavier breeds you don't want your roosts higher than about 18" off the ground. Once the heavy breeds are full grown they can sustain serious leg injuries from the jump.

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Very interesting! I will make that adaptation in the coop this weekend and see how they like it. No wonder they weren't going onto the other roosts.

 

[mylilchix]

Hmmm, my roosts range from 1 foot off the ground to about 5 feet. It's ladder style. The lowest nest boxes are about 15" off the ground. I've been trying to block them off, but I've discovered that one of my hens likes to lay REALLy early. If I don't leave the boxes open she lays on the floor, and the eggs get stomped on by my other birds. So, I'm wondering if there is anything else I can try. They sure like to get into the boxes at night, even after I take them out!!

Sonja

 

[Chirpy]

Sonja - Hi! How late are you going in to remove them from the nest boxes and put them on the roosts? You might try going in a good hour or even two after dark and moving them to the roosts. Once they are moved they shouldn't try to go back to the nest boxes in the dark. I had several chickens that took a week of moving them before they got it and one thick headed girl that took almost two weeks of going out every night to move her before she figured it out.


Good luck ... it's so frustrating having poop in the nest boxes.

 

[Lebking]

You guys are so lucky. Every night for the last 3 and a half weeks I've been going in and moving my 7 hens to the roost. I've only missed one night. Now sometimes there are one or two on the roost but generally they are still in the next boxes. Maybe I left it too late by letting them sleep there for 18 months but I guess you live and learn for my second breed.

 

[growinupinfl]

Sleeping in the nest boxes.. When mine where younger they slept on top/in the nest boxes. I didn't really do anything for them to move out. I think they discovered it was cooler up on the roost where the air is able to breeze through the coop. Now they sleep up top. The only ones that don't right now are the ones that have gone broody over the past few days. I think you shooing them out and letting them develop they will figure it out.

Christal

 

[elizabethlongwood]

I have a bullied EE that sleeps in a nest box every night to get away from the other hens. They never did accept her into the flock completely and I feel sorry for her, so I just scoop the poop out of that box every morning

 

[papeine]

Quote:
Like RR said, lowering the nest boxes helps.
I have two dark hens that I am still working on breaking of the habit of sleeping on the nest boxes; actually one nest box.
For the past week, I've started going out there when it's good and dark and grabbing them and setting them on a roost. They don't move back to the boxes that night because they don't like to move around in the dark. I use a laser pointer keychain to help me see without giving them enough light to move.
So far it seems to be working. The boxes were clean this morning. It may take another week or so before they are finally broken of the habit.

I did the same thing.. just moved them to the roost at night... and made the roost higher than the nest boxes.. with in a week they all sleep on the roost...

 

[lorrir]

I use the deep litter method and keep a flat shovel in the coop every day when I get eggs I stir the litter around and put "fresh" in the nesting boxes.

This has kept my eggs clean, the smell and flies (when it's hot) down and it extends the life of the litter. I use about 5 bales ($5.99) at a time and change out the litter about 3-4 times a year. I also sprinkle DE in a couple of times in between changes. This method has been the cleanest one I have found and the girls seem to like it.