Cube mk2 and WIR

[maggiesfarm]

Hi

 

My 3 chickens, all approx 20 weeks old, don't perch when they go in their hut at night. They all crowd together in the 2 nesting boxes at the the back of the hut, is this normal or do I need to stop this. They haven't laid any eggs yet and I have had them for 4 weeks this weekend, I'm just a bit worried in case they get confused about where to lay.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Mags.

[Sandychick]

Mine thought that sleeping in the next box was a good idea to start with. I wasn't too bothered until they started laying - not so nice collecting the eggs when you get a handful of chicken poo with them I put a football in the next box for a few nights and they soon got out of the habit. Much nicer now with a clean nest box every morning

[ruth1]

Mine did that to when they first arrived and I didnt worry about it I have to say, and as they got bigger they moved through to the roosting bars of their own accord, now they are always on the bars except the girl with sore feet and I cant blame her for that.

[Janepie33]

Yep. That seems to be completely normal for the youngsters. They like to snuggle up in the straw to sleep and then lay eggs in the poo.

They soon grow out of it!

 

Jane

[Carl80]

I got 3 ex batts just over a month ago and they refuse to use the roosting bars, just snuggle up in the nesting box instead.

 

I would try and force them onto the bars but my thinking is that they have had such a rubbish life so far that they can do whatever they want now. If they wanted to go on the bars they would've done so by now, i dont really feel like forcing them.

 

Is there any benefits to them sleeping on the bars than in the nesting box?

[HENthusiastic]

I agree. I think they can sleep where they like! I have one who roosts, the others always sit on the floor. Sweeties.

[..lay a little egg for me]

I may be wrong, but I get the impression that in the eglu (not sure about cube) the roosting bars are the same height or lower than the nesting box. The hens' instinct is to go up high at night (they evolved from jungle birds who ranged the floor under the trees during the day but flew up into the trees at night), so if the perches are higher than the nesting box they are more likely to use the perches. I know that the traditional design of a hen coop has the nesting boxes low in the darkest corner and the roosting bars high up. Ours is so designed and none of our girls ever showed the slightest interest in using the nesting box to sleep in. By contrast, I have seen loads of threads about hens sleeping in the eglu nest box.

[alison]

Mine always used to sleep in the nesting box until last week, when all of a sudden they are roosting on the perches.

 

I did find 7 of them all higgledy piggledy on top of each other and shoved them out and put the plastic riddle in the nest box, which I had tried before to no avail, but now it seems to have worked!

 

I just check the nesting box after dusk and see if there is an errant chook, but no, they all all roosting.

 

I never thought I would say this, but a clean nesting box makes a difference. I thought I didn't mind de pooing it each day, but now I don't have to do it.

 

I shone a torch in last night and they all looked comfy!

[superjules]

Mags, do you have an eglu or something different?

 

My skylines have automatically perched since I put them on the perches a few times, but my lazier girls can't be bothered with the hassle of getting up there so sleep in or near the nestboxes. They all like their regular sleeping spots though, so you might just need to break their habits!

[maggiesfarm]

Thanks for all the info people.

 

I've blocked the nesting box off tonight and the ladies have gone to bed with a bit of complaining, I've just checked on them and they seem to be perched on the bars. I'm going to raise the perches as at the moment they are on the same level as the nesting box. I don't mind if they sleep on the floor but I really don't want them in the nest box, must be a Virgo thing

 

I don't have an eglu, just a bog standard chook hut.

 

Thanks again.

 

Mags

[..lay a little egg for me]

Did I imagine it or did I read somewhere that perching on bars or similar was supposed to be better for them than not doing so? (No idea in what way it is better, but I suppose it is more 'natural').