Will hoey

[jos]

Hello, having heard conflicting advice form several people I just wondered if anyone on the forum could tell me whether roosting bars should always be higher than the nesting area.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Jos

[Snowy]

I don't think there are any hard and fast rules - the reason behind saying they should be higher is because hens do like to roost as high as possible. If the nest box is higher than the perches, they will roost in the nest box (fill it with poo and then you get dirty eggs). Hope this helps

[jos]

Thanks, Snowy. If the roosting bars are lower and they therefore sleep in the nesting box am I depriving them of the choice of roosting?

 

I did something I really should have learnt not to do by my age! I bought a cheapish coop off the internet for my ex-batts and have regretted it ever since - the nesting area is much higher than the bars so they all sleep in the nest box but I'm having an attack of the guilts that I'm not giving them the proper choice of roosting if they want to.

 

Jos

[Egluntyne]

They might not know what to do, with them being ex-batts.

 

Why not block off the nest box with a plant pot or football, and then they might get the idea. You will have to be up early to shift it though, in case any of them want to lay.

 

Or you could go out late and lift them off the nest box whilst they are drowsy and position them on the bars. Gallina has done this and after a few days her hens have got the message.

[jos]

ok,I'll try that.... thanks Egluntine

[Jules.]

Just an aside, I read that in the wild the hen who is top chook gets to roost at the higest point in the tree or wherever.