My girls are 11 wks old this coming Monday. I'm already looking forward to EGGS since we're past the half way point (hopefully) So, when do we put the nest boxes in there for them? I don't want to put them in too soon as I don't want them to get in the habit of sleeping in them... Also, what do you all use for bedding in the nest boxes? I was thinking of using pine shavings. Is that OK? Susan
I put my boxes in when they were 16 weeks old. They inspected them, but never slept in them. I filled each box with wood shavings - make sure you have a lip on the front of the box so it doesn't get pushed out. I also placed a golf ball in the center of each box. My chickens are 32 weeks and I've had every egg land in the nexting boxes.
I put my boxes in when our flock turned 17 weeks old. Added golfballs (as fake eggs) as soon as I added the boxes, to give the gals a clue. The 3 Mottled Cochins use the boxes but our EE, Goldie, would rather lay her eggs on the floor, in the pine shavings. Going to TSC tonight to get her a bag of smaller pine shavings, since she apparently doesn't like the hay. Spoiled, I tell ya! Dawn
we added our boxes late our girls were already laying, but i finally added the boxes and the girls havent dropped anywhere but the boxes since.
I put mine up but blocked the entrances till ready to start laying, then opened them up for chickens to investigate. I also used wood shavings, but anything thick enough to protect egg when it drops will work as said above have enough of a lip that all the bedding does not get pushed out.