Single hen

[lozkate]

I have noticed each night that 3 of the chooks are on the roosting bars but one is always laid on the floor of the coup. Is this normal?

[Carol U]

I think they each have their preferences. Mine, who are large girls, cram into the nesting box together and totally ignore the roosting bars.

[Olly]

They haven't read the books that say they prefer to cling onto roosting bars. You could leave a book in the run - or put a plastic flowerpot (or football) in the nest box for a few nights, to discourage them!

 

Some people don't mind, but I get cross about scooping poo out of the nest box. You can put the flowerpot in before they go to bed, and take it out once they've roosted, if you are worried they will want to lay before you get up.

[Tina C]

My 3 ex-batts live in a wooden house with three perches and three nestboxes.

 

Guess where they sleep?

 

I don't understand why they don't snuggle up together, either on a perch or on the floor of the house.

 

I am too soft to kick them out of the nest boxes - it only takes acouple of minutes to scoop the droppings out of the aubiose.

[Egluntyne]

I've noticed that some of mine start out in the nestbox, but if I go out later for another peep, they are all roosting in a row......and snoring gently.....it's so cute.

[Richard]

how about putting up a notice in the coop telling them where they should roost and where they should lay? I did - and they didn't take any notice.

 

Mine are all over the place. One always is in the nest box overnight, one is on the partition and the rest are together on the bars.

[little chickadee]

"Dave" always seems to go to sleep in the nesting box, but it means I can easily pick her up and give her a cuddle once she's gone to bed as she doesn't like it the rest of the time! Hoping they will start to use the nesting box to lay in soon - 19 weeks old

[Richard]

" Hoping they will start to use the nesting box to lay in soon - 19 weeks old

 

Don't like to worry you but its bad time of year for laying as they will be into the autumn moult. My Orpingtons are something like 27 weeks old and haven't laid anything yet