when to open the nest box?

[stevin]

my RIR pullets are just over 5 months old & my Lt Sussex are 3 1/2 months old sharing the same coop. i've noticed that the RIR's faces are pinkish, definitely not red.
should i wait till i find the 1st egg somewhere on the coop floor before opening the nest box? the nest box is roughly 6-8" above the floor and the roosts are at 3' & 4'.
every pullet sleeps up on the roosts for the past month or so.
if i remove the plywood blocking off the nest box will i be creating an opportunity for them to start sleeping & pooping in there?
or since they have been faithfully sleeping on the roosts is it safe to open it up now?

 

[NonnasBabies]

I would open it now since you have one that's 5 months already! My RIR started layin about that age.

Missi

 

[4 luv of eggs]

Keep the nest boxes lower than their roost spot and they won't sleep in it. I put my boxes in way too early and they just ignored them until they started to mature. I would go ahead and set them up. When they need it they'll seek them out.

 

[SparksNV]

My boxes are lower than my roosts & my pullets are not interested in the boxes yet - they are definitely closer to laying. I placed 2 white golf balls in the boxes to show them what they are for.

 

[mglewis74]

I'm running a variety of chicken ages in the chicken house and recently inserted some new nesting boxes since I knew that within the next couple of months that I would have more hens laying than I had the correct number of boxes in comparison with the number of potenital laying hens. Yes, keep your nesting boxes lower than the roosts and you should not have a problem. We got our very first Easter Egger greenish-tinted egg a couple of days ago and it was laid in one of the new boxes, top row, middle bucket, beside a white golf ball! Bruce

 

[stevin]

awesome! looks like i'll be removing the plywood blocking the nest box this weekend!
thanx for the golfball tip! i'll place a couple in mine, the wife works at titleist and maybe she can get me a couple of rejects
maybe they'll have some shaped like eggs

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