When to open Nesting Boxes?

[Brandy2512]

Hi!
My girls are now 15 weeks. 4 RIRs & 4 ISA Browns. I have had their nesting boxes closed off, but am now wondering when I should open them up & add bedding. Any advice? No eggs yet & their combs & wattles are starting to progress a little more.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi there. About now is fine. They could start laying soon or it could still be a couple of months.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I've been wondering about this, too. What happens if I open the boxes and they take to sleeping in them?

If there are roosts higher than the nests, they probably won't. Chickens like to roost as high as possible. If any do roost in the nests, come back and let us know, and we'll try and figure out why.

 

[Coops Dad]

I have a broody hen that sleeps in empty nesting boxes. We gather all the eggs every day, and she's always sitting in whichever box has the most eggs. I'm trying to convince my wife that we can let her hatch a clutch of eggs, keep a few to replace some older hens and sell the rest but she's afraid of falling in love and not being able to get rid of any of them.

 

[GC-Raptor]

So I’m planning on putting my chicks out in the coop/run in the next few weeks so I should NOT have the nesting boxes in the coop for now?

If the nests are already in the coop, then see what happens when you put them in there.
You don't want them sleeping in the nests, because they poop when sleeping and if they continue to sleep in the nests, then poop covered eggs will happen when they start laying.
If you notice that they are sleeping in the nests instead of the roosts, then block the nests till they learn to roost or 15 weeks old. GC

 

[aart]

Think @aart told me to have the lip around 3" in height to help reduce the straw coming out of the nesting boxes.

4-6" ..... but bedding needs to stay a couple inches below top of front lip.

 

[aart]

It is about three inches. It looked like they had had a party in there!

Pretty normal for them to want to explore the boxes (aka make a mess) since they've just been exposed to them. They may be obnoxious with scratching bedding out while getting close to lay, but should settle down in behavior once they begin laying.

Indeed!
Best way to know a new layer is coming online.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Came here tonight also looking for an answer to this question!

I open/install around 15 weeks old. GC

 

[chickencissy99]

So glad to see this post. My chickens are 18 weeks old and I was wondering about taking the hardware cloth off the nesting boxes and seeing what happens. I have been watching for eggs since I am not sure about the exact age and breeds!

 

[drinkoj]

My hens are 19 weeks old. I opened my nesting boxes last night and now the straw is strewn all over the coop floor. How do I get them to leave it in the box? I will put golf balls in tomorrow.

How high of a lip do you have in front of the nesting boxes? Think @aart told me to have the lip around 3" in height to help reduce the straw coming out of the nesting boxes.