When to provide nesting boxes?

[drinkoj]

So if we put them lower than the roost is that good?

Yes.
Going through this myself but with varying ages, so I've been advised to leave the nesting boxes open during the day and cover them at night so no one starts sleeping in them; my roosting bars are much higher than nesting boxes.

 

[aart]

So if we put them lower than the roost is that good?

Roosts should be at least a foot higher than nests to avoid nest sleeping.
No guarantees tho.
I have several of roosts so new birds won't choose nests when they aren't allowed on the main roosts.

 

[Ridgerunner]

So if we put them lower than the roost is that good?

It's a lot better than the opposite but like Aart mentioned, it's no guarantee. Most chickens like to roost as high as they can so if the roosts are higher than the nests you've done a good thing. But there are always exceptions. The ones highest in the pecking order get to sleep where they want to. If you don't have enough roost space the others can't roost up there. Sometimes a higher ranking bird will be pretty brutal to a lower ranking bird if it tries to sleep next to them, let alone in its favorite spot even if there is plenty of room. This is especially common when you have juveniles in with adults. Sometimes the picked-on bird will look for a safer place to sleep.

Putting the roosts higher than the nests gives you a good chance at success. Putting the roosts lower than the nests gives you a good chance at failure. At least get that part of the equation right.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

It's a lot better than the opposite but like Aart mentioned, it's no guarantee. Most chickens like to roost as high as they can so if the roosts are higher than the nests you've done a good thing. But there are always exceptions. The ones highest in the pecking order get to sleep where they want to. If you don't have enough roost space the others can't roost up there. Sometimes a higher ranking bird will be pretty brutal to a lower ranking bird if it tries to sleep next to them, let alone in its favorite spot even if there is plenty of room. This is especially common when you have juveniles in with adults. Sometimes the picked-on bird will look for a safer place to sleep.

Putting the roosts higher than the nests gives you a good chance at success. Putting the roosts lower than the nests gives you a good chance at failure. At least get that part of the equation right.

Okay good. I don’t have all mine in yet. Just a few nesting boxes. My nesting boxes are lower than my roosts. Neither are exceptionally high. I have big girls so my roosts are at 31/2 feet and my nesting boxes are going to start at 18” off the floor to prevent sprains and any fighting over favorite spots I’m putting five in for nine birds.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Roosts should be at least a foot higher than nests to avoid nest sleeping.
No guarantees tho.
I have several of roosts so new birds won't choose nests when they aren't allowed on the main roosts.

Okay. That’s what I have going.

 

[yakitori]

What a great discussion. Sorry for the late response as I haven't been getting the notifications on this thread for some reason

I plan to have my boxes externally, so they will be at floor level. I'm putting in more roosts today as I've discovered that my birds would rather all squish up on the top roost than shuffle down to the bottom one.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

What a great discussion. Sorry for the late response as I haven't been getting the notifications on this thread for some reason

I plan to have my boxes externally, so they will be at floor level. I'm putting in more roosts today as I've discovered that my birds would rather all squish up on the top roost than shuffle down to the bottom one.

They all tend to fight over a favorite spot on everything whether it’s a roosting spot. Nesting box favorite, or a favorite spot in the shade to roll around in the dirt and have a dust bath at my place. The roosting boards in our coop are all at the same level with is about 38 to 42 inches off the floor because I have big girls and they don’t need sprains and accidents. Their favorite sleeping spots are all piled up in the far south west corner facing the south mostly and they think the prime spot is in the most SouthEastern corner behind the coop door. My two most higher ranking pullets get those spots each night. They are my Flower hens but my Orpingtons are trying to fight them for those spots more and more every day and they are going to probably pass them in size soon but the Flower Hens are going to be at POL sooner I believe.

 

[yakitori]

They all tend to fight over a favorite spot on everything whether it’s a roosting spot.

I just discovered this! I went and put in an extra roost yesterday, and they didn’t use it, those ungrateful freeloaders! :<

sooner or later they will become too fat to all fit on the one roost, I guess I’ll just have to wait.