Chickens not perching and sleeping in their nesting boxes

[lachie27]

Hi, I need someone's help, I have 2 pol chickens which I have bought 3 weeks ago and have recently started laying. I was surprised when I saw the first egg in the nesting box when I came home and thought that now they have associated the nesting box with egg laying not sleeping that they would stop sleeping in there. Figures that they are still sleeping in their nesting boxes which leads to poo in their nesting box and then spooling the eggs. Any suggestions on getting them to roost by themselves. Btw I have tried blocking off the nesting boxes at night for about 2 weeks but they still try to sleep in the nesting boxes instead of hopping right on the roost.

 

[Pork Pie]

If they can no longer access the nesting boxes, you can try putting them on the perches every evening for a few days - maybe they will get the idea. They are creatures of habit so it may take a while. As long as the perches are not too high (have you seen them use them during the day?) then they should catch on.

CT

 

[aart]

Were they perching on the roosts to sleep when you had the nests blocked for the 2 weeks?
That certainly should have been long enough to 'train' them to sleep on the roosts.
So I'm guessing something else is not quite right with your roosts.

Can you post a pic of your roosts?
Are they easy to get up to and down from without crashing into a wall or something else?
Are they at least 12" away from a wall and 12" higher than the nests?

 

[jeanetteiacovon]

Hi, I need someone's help, I have 2 pol chickens which I have bought 3 weeks ago and have recently started laying. I was surprised when I saw the first egg in the nesting box when I came home and thought that now they have associated the nesting box with egg laying not sleeping that they would stop sleeping in there. Figures that they are still sleeping in their nesting boxes which leads to poo in their nesting box and then spooling the eggs. Any suggestions on getting them to roost by themselves. Btw I have tried blocking off the nesting boxes at night for about 2 weeks but they still try to sleep in the nesting boxes instead of hopping right on the roost.

hi how high is your roost?

 

[lachie27]

They are the same level as the nesting boxes. I bought the coop online so I thought chickens would roost there.

 

[lachie27]

http://www.tradingpets.com.au/uploads/cache/SV103217-396x396.png
Open the link above to see a photo off the website I bought the coop from. But the roosts are the same height as the nesting boxes. I don't know why they aren't roosting there and I have noticed one has been hopping off the roosts and sleeping on the ground and getting poo all over herself.

 

[aart]

Roosts are too low and too probably too small, typical of those tiny premade coops, the nests are probably much more comfortable for sleeping.
Roosts are best if they are about 12" higher than nests, they like to sleep as high as possible, and at least 2" wide.

 

[abenardini]

Agree - it's also best to have varied heights from what I've experienced so far. It allows the higher pecking order birds to "be at the top" while even the last bird in the pecking order has a comfy place to perch.

I use two-by-fours for perches and my birds seem to like them, with the highest perch about 32 inches from the litter top (I have more than ten inches of litter, so there are no rough landings).

 

[jeanetteiacovon]

I agree, the roosts need to be higher then the boxes, they are roosting in the trees because they feel safer when they are high off the ground. Try making the roost as high as you can in the coop but leave room enough for them to stand on them. You can leave the roost you already have and just put another one in higher then the boxes. This way they can jump from roost to roost if need be. Good luck

 

[Goulais Girl]

I have hat same coop, I bought at our local farm supply store... I used it in an emergency and I honestly wouldn't keep chickens in there full time.. Through the winter they would have no where to walk and it needed to be cleaned at least ever second day due to the small area they get. We've now "integrated" our smaller birds with the bigger ones and I'm not using mine anymore. The problem I now have as well is the nesting box sleeping... They slept In The boxes in this house and now in the big coop. Also, if there's too much kerfluffle, they run into the boxes and hide and sleep. Good luck but with this coop you're going to have a hard time having them not sleep in the nesting box... I feel your pain!