[chookey]

Hi all
I am new to chicken keeping (2 weeks in) and wondered if anyone could give me advice.
I have two warrens and two bantam frizzles.  I am having problems with three of them sleeping in the nestboxes at night, so in the morning they are full of their poo, therefore, i have to change the bedding every morning.  The warrens are not laying yet, but am worried when they do start, which I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks, the eggs could get contaminated?  The two bantams are laying, but not frequently and tends to be later on in the day, so the nestboxes are clean by then, but I really want to try and break the habit if possible.  I have been told to blank the nestboxes off at night, would this be right?
I am sure the problem is that one of the frizzles is the dominant one and is the only one sleeping on the perches.  I have tried moving the three of them onto the perches at night, (as advised by a fellow chicken keeper), but its not working and i think the dominant one is pecking at them to get them moved.......
Any advice gratefully received.
thankyou.

[Bogof]

Close of the nest box, then when you let them out open it up. That's what worked for me.

[Aidy]

Mine sleep in the nestbox. They are rescued bats and have a hard life so they can choose what they want to do, when they want to do it. Every morning I will clean coop, so to clean the nest box's ain't a major hassle for me.

[3Bluebelles]

Hi.

Ours did the same when we first got them, but we just put a piece of wood in to close off the entrance to the nest box in the early evening, when they had all laid and before they went to roost. This quickly sorted it, and we didn't bother after a few weeks.

I know it seems the kind thing to let them go where they want, but they do genuinely seem happier on a perch, and as high up as possible, once they got the hang of it. Also, we have 6 chickens, and 3 of them being younger, are still bullied and pecked by the elder, but they still don't like being separated, so I don't think they are being forced to sleep where they don't want by the other chickens.

We recently took out one of the roosting bars to make way for a new ladder up, and this effectively created 2 halves, but we found that all 6 crammed together on 1 side so that they were all together.

I hope yours get the hang of it soon.

All the best.
Jacky

[mad chicken]

Mine have never ever laid in my nest boxes! 

[graces-chickens]

Hi i have only had my daughters hens since sunday there are 2 POL and a year old.  i bought them from a farm and they do not sit on the perch at all i persevere everynight to sit them on but they jump off straight away.  Last night they didnt mess up the 2 nesting boxes fortunately and just nested on the floor.  I shall try again tonight but i dont hold out much hope!!! mu mom said block the nesting box - but they didnt sit in there last night and stayed on the floor - do they eventually sit on the perch??