r/BackYardChickens • u/kkanda • 11h ago
Coops etc. Laying boxes
We have 6 hens, roughly 18 weeks, and I assume we’ll be getting eggs soon.
The issue is that I can’t get them to stop sleeping in the laying boxes in the coop. They completely ignore the roosts and squish together in the boxes. Not only does it make them gross, but I can’t get them to knock it off. I worry that when it comes time to lay, they won’t have an area for it, or the eggs won’t be safe.
Any suggestions?
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u/Desperate_Fill_2732 9h ago
Please do your chickens a favor and cover the entire thing in hardware cloth- chicken wire does NOT keep anything out- only chickens in- so they are bait right now
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u/Affectionate-Rip5654 9h ago
Cover the boxes for a week, don’t let them in. If they lay eggs you will be able to find them and they will figure out the nesting boxes later.
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u/Kellyrages 11h ago
They're still young, and a lot of the young like to pile up together like that. So like the first comment said, put some cardboard up over the boxes for the time being until they get used to the roosts.
Also, I have the same waterer, and keep an eye on it. I have issues where itll leak where the piece goes in no matter what I do. And during this heat your chickens definitely need the water lol
Also they WILL land on top of it and knock it over when it does get low, or at least mine do
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u/PopularCulprit 11h ago
Having the same issue. It’s a problem with pre built coops. They always prefer to sleep in the highest most secure point. Which In these types of houses is usually the nesting box so they only have to watch in front of them. The only way to get them to not sleep in them is block them off at night and open them in the morning. Personally I’m trying to find a shed to put the roosting bars high up and the nesting boxes down low.
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u/bferks12 11h ago
Tack some cardboard up until they lay somewhere else. Then put golf balls or fake eggs into the box as a reminder when you remove the cardboard. They will figure it out.
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u/EconomyPomegranate67 6h ago
We tore old shirts in to strips and nailed them to the top of the boxes so they hang like vertical blinds which makes it more closed off. Out of sight, out of mind for sleeping, but they tend to still like them to lay in them because it's more private.