Still trying to sleep in nest boxes!

[shaunmac]

Having a bit of a dilemma.
Had 3 of my chickens around 10 weeks, and the other 3 around 2 weeks.
Initially the originals would sleep in the best boxes, and every single night since, I've had to shoo them out and put plant pots in the nest boxes.
I thought this was because they're higher than the perches (prefab coop), so I went to work today and modified the coop and made the perches higher than the nests.
Went out to put them away and low and behold, still chickens in the nest boxes and had to shoo them out and put plant pots in yet again.
Anybody got any suggestions? I don't really want to have to keep picking poo out of the boxes every day so that my eggs aren't covered in it.


Thanks
Shaun

 

[foreverlearning]

Close off the boxes until they are close to laying age. This is normal chick behavior.

 

[Hokum Coco]

sleep in the best boxes, and every single night since,

You will find their natural instincts and that higher is safer gene will eventually will kick in. You may encourage them buy going in after dark and placing them on the roost for a few days. I still have the odd bird that will sleep in the nest box and sleep on the floor. It is not a perfect world.

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new.

 

[shaunmac]

Forever - they are all of laying age and older

Hokum - every time they're in there I shoo them out

A bit of progress on this, went to put them away last night and only one in the nest box, and it just happened to be the chicken that doesn't like to be touched, soon as I touch her she always pecks at me, little bugger! Hopefully she will learn

 

[Hokum Coco]

duplicate

 

[Hokum Coco]

Forever - they are all of laying age and older

Hokum - every time they're in there I shoo them out

A bit of progress on this, went to put them away last night and only one in the nest box, and it just happened to be the chicken that doesn't like to be touched, soon as I touch her she always pecks at me, little bugger! Hopefully she will learn That one could have a strong brooding instinct

That is good news Shaunmac. You may reach you goal of having them all roost at night but do not be too disappointed if you do not.

Some chickens just have a lot of their common instincts bred out of them. Such as broodiness to name just one.

A lot of the time just when you give up and say it is not worth the hassle shortly after that they start roosting on their own.

Go figure??.
(I assume your roost are higher than your nest boxes or you are fighting a loosing battle.)

 

[aart]

Forever - they are all of laying age and older

Hokum - every time they're in there I shoo them out

A bit of progress on this, went to put them away last night and only one in the nest box, and it just happened to be the chicken that doesn't like to be touched, soon as I touch her she always pecks at me, little bugger! Hopefully she will learn

First post seemed to indicate that they were 10 and 2 weeks....maybe that's how long you've had them.

Just keep putting them up on the roost after dark.....or shoo them out of the nests at dusk as they go to roost, they'll get it eventually.
Took me about a month before they stopped.