When To Prepare Nest Boxes

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

Our flock is 10 weeks old now and are beginning to fly up into the nest boxes in our coop. Would you prepare the boxes now with the bedding and fake eggs so they know what they are for, or wait awhile yet?

 

[JennsPeeps]

Prepare it any but not allow access until you start to see squatting behavior or until they hit ~20 weeks. You don't want to encourage roosting in the boxes. I opened mine up around 20 weeks and they were curious but didn't roost in them, which was exaclty what I wanted to have happen.

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

Thanks! I didn't even think about the roosting. I will block them off somehow.

 

[mrsgibber]

Mine started roosting in them IMMEDIATELY and of course they were pooping in them. I have three nest boxes which I hung burlap over with slits for them to use to access when they are of age to do so. They haven't gone in them since.