New chickens in nesting box

[v8hybrid]

We have had our chickens for just over a week, and they seem to be fine, but the last few nights when I have shut them up, I have noticed that they are not on their perches (as they were for the first few nights) but the three of them are crammed into the nesting box. There was a lot of poop in the nesting box, so they must be spending a lot of time in there. Maybe the wet weather has something to do with it?

I'd appreciate any ideas on whether this is normal, or is it something to be discouraged before they start laying (they are 17 weeks old). Thanks.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi V8. Yes I think you should discourage it. Its not healthy as they won't get fresh air and it will encourage lice and mites to breed. Good to have curtains at the front of nest boxes. It discourages them from sleeping in there, stops poo' covered eggs, helps prevent egg eating later and encourages them to lay in the secure environment, not anywhere else. we use Wilko car mats cut into strips 15mm wide except for the last few inches. just hold in place with drawing pins or better still a piece of wood screwed on. Try blocking the box with upturned plant pots at night for now, before they go in and put them on the perch. It's probably because they are cold and wet as you say.

 

[Chuck]

It's best to try to keep them out as the nests get messed up with droppings which in turn gives you dirty eggs. It's not unusual for birds to do this. So put some pots in at night to keep them out. In the daytime at some point soon, they will start to investigate the nest boxes as they get ready to lay so there's no reason they can't have access in the day. After a while, they should start to perch again. The perches should be higher than the nest boxes as generally they like to roost in the highest spot.

 

[v8hybrid]

Thank You- we'll try doing as you both suggest.

 

[Marigold]

As they are still quite young pullets, it's probable they have been raised in a shed without any perches, as these are not needed for young birds, in fact some people think that perching too young is bad for the development of the bird's breastbone in some of the heavier breeds. So it may be that yours haven't learned to do this yet. Try blocking up the nestboxes before they go to roost, as has been suggested, and then go down for a few nights after they have gone to roost and if any are on the floor, gently lift them on to a perch. This should stimulate their grip reflex, the mechanism chickens have to hold their claws firmly round the perch when they sleep so they don't fall off. So long as the perches are higher than the nestboxes, they should soon learn how to do it. Apart from the hygiene aspects of pooing in the nestbox, as Chris says, they will dry off better and get more air if they are on perches than all crammed into a nestbox.
Have they got a perch in the run? I fixed one where two sides meet in a corner, and they like to hang out there to watch what's going on in the garden.

 

[v8hybrid]

I closed off the nesting area with some cardboard this evening, and they're all perched now, Thanks for the advice. I'll close off the nesting area for a few days and see how we get on.