[peewee_lane]

Hi there everyone, first time poster, long time reader! Have gotton so much fantastic advice without having to post (caecal poops being one).

I started off with 2 light sussex & rhode island and it only took 3 days for them to realise where the heat and hay was and entered the nesting box religiously.

THEN, I got 2 older Rhode Islands and a Welsummer and they have decided they are not going into the nesting area and instead sleep up on top of the coop on a pole.

I was lifting them in each night but the older girls are much bigger and I was hoping they would learn but they refuse and I am worried about them attacting rats and foxes now.

Anyone else religiously put their chicks in their nesting box at night? Or would you suggest its okay and come Winter they will enter the box.

PS - I'm in Ireland, so its cold! Dont understand why they dont want to keep warm?

Thanks a mil guys, look forward to any advice :o)

[Roughlee Handled]

From what I understand chickens like to roost as high up as they can. Can you remove the pole?  Stop access to the pole? This would be my fist thoughts.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Do they have a perch in their coop. Perhaps they prefer perching to their nest box and that would be a compromise?

Just one other thought from someone elses post a while ago. There is no signs of mites are there? Can't remember who but someone had a similar problem and it turned out that they had a bit of an infestation and the hens didn't like the coop as they were getting munched on at night by the evil little critters.

[peewee_lane]

Well, the coop has been built brand new, and I have since cleaned the nesting area out twice and replaced the shavings and straw/hay)dont know which one it is).

I think you're right there Roughlee Handled, if I removed the nesting pole up top and replace it with one in the nesting area, it could be the solution I'm looking for.

Thanks guys.

[Roughlee Handled]

Not to scare you but you will get Red Spider Mite that is if you coop is wood. I am on week three of trying to rid my coop of the bu@@ers.

[poultrygeist]

Just to temper your post a bit RH, it's not inevitable that you get red mite with a wooden coop.

It's just more difficult to get rid if they do arrive. :shock:  

I would back up all the comments about removing the pole outised and giving them a perch in the coop. It wants to be about 2-3" wide with rounded top edges., and about 9-12" width for each bird.
 
Also, can you make sure it is straw, rather than hay, because the hens may eat the hay and it can get caught in their crops, causing problems.

Good luck with it, and let us know how you get on. And post some pictures on the Chicken Chat forum please  

Rob

[Roughlee Handled]

:oops:

[Sadgit]

Just to temper your post a bit RH, it's not inevitable that you get red mite with a wooden coop.

Well after a year I haven't had red mites in my wooden coop.

hang on.. chickens shouldn't be sleeping in the nesting box, as they will poo in there and be sleeping in it. 100% make sure they have a perch for sleeping on, then they aren't sleeping in their own po.

[ceri green]

Some of mine refuse to perch and always sleep in the nest boxes. It just means I have to clean the poo out of them every day! But to save time and mess what I have done is "layer " each box with a couple of sheets of newspaper and a bit of straw, about 4 or 5 layers, then I can just fold a layer up each day and chuck it with a minimum of mess!

ps now they go into the shed round the back to lay!

[poultrygeist]

:oops:

   ... I hope I'm not proved wrong now.  :?

Ceri. That's a brilliant idea.   ...might have to pinch it.

Rob

[Sadgit]

I blocked off my nesting boxes at night so they couldn't sleep there.. they soon got the message

[raeburg]

I blocked off my nesting boxes at night so they couldn't sleep there.. they soon got the message

Might have to pinch this idea.  i've 2 who won't go on the perches.  always the same birds.

[Knight Family]

Mine so far have not gone to roost in the coop but instead like to sit down just right of the entrence, so I'v left them there as there only young.

My roost bar is about 18 to 19 " high is it to high ?

[poultrygeist]

Mine's about 10" high. But that's in a coop a couple of feet off the ground.

2 freestanding perches just high enough for them to walk under.

[peewee_lane]

Last night to my dismay they all had flown on top of the nesting box and were nesting on that, so I picked them up individually and placed them in the nesting box. I felt I had to, two are sneezing and its Ireland and blooming cold at night!