when to put up nest boxes?

[delfargo]

well, the coop is FINALLY done (almost). i was putting the finishing touches on this weekend and was about to put up the nest boxes, but thought i should wait. my chickens are only 7 1/2 weeks old, so they won't be laying untill, what, november? i thought if i put them up now, they would just sleep and poop in them, which i figured would be a bad habit to get into.
so... should i wait till just before they get to "laying age" or could i put it up now, so i can be "done" with the coop, and cover the front with something?
any ideas? thanx!!!

 

[chicmom]

I think you've got a good idea - wait until they just reach laying age. You're totally correct, they may just sleep and poop in them now. Don't start a bad habit. Poopy eggs are no fun to clean.

 

[GermanChick]

We put them up when building the coop but covered the front and just this week when our girls turned 16 weeks we uncovered them. So far none of them had really explored them, I don't know if they only get interested in them when it comes close to laying or if they are just "chicken" and don't know what to do with the new thing

 

[teach1rusl]

I also had mine installed already when the chicks went out there. They did hop up to take a look from time to time, but never roosted there. You can always tack a piece of cardboard over the openings if they try to sleep there. Or you can wait...whatever best fits your schedule

 

[wsdareme]

Nesting boxes are the only item remaining in our coop construction project. I know if DH and I don't finish them now (we still have 1-2 months before we should start expecting eggs), they may not get done! You know how that goes, moving on to other projects! I'm hoping to build ones that have a perch in the front that can be swung up to block the nest box. Sometimes my ideas exceed our construction skills, however.

I'll settle for what we are able to build, and cover them with something if necessary.

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

I think its easier to put the nesting boxes up before they are put in their coop. Thats what we did, and they got used to them fast, and ive only had a few eggs that werent layed in the nesting boxes.

 

[WV_Hillbilly70]

My girls are 15 weeks old, I just installed the nest boxes over the weekend complete with golf balls. I think it was better to wait because now they have figured out the whole roosting thing. I too was afraid they would take to sleeping in them. So far they pretty much ignore the nesting boxes except for sticking thier heads in them to look around. I didn't want to wait too long to put them in, in case I had an early bloomer, I didn't want to have to do an easter egg hunt every day!! lol!!

 

[33yardbirds]

I just put ours up this past wk end, they're 18wks and 2 hens started singing that funny song today. I've had them ready to go for wks though.(the nest boxes)

 

[buckabucka]

Ours went in when we built the coop and the openings are covered in cardboard. I plan to uncover them at 16 weeks.
Robin