roosting hlp please

[muckman]

Hi all, im new to chook keeping so here we go.
Last week i bought 6 black rock chooks at a ripe old age of 18-20 weeks old.
The problem is they only roost on the coop floor or the thr 4 nest boxes i made for the egg laying.
yesterday i borrowed a minorca cockrel that roosts on the two perches iv put in the coop.
Last week without the cockrel i went to the coop at roosting time and put 4chooks on the perch to no avail, I know its only been 1 night but i just got back from them and the cockrel is on 1 perch and the hens are in the the nest boxes 2 a breast.
Will they get the jist or not.?
any tips would be great. Thanks the muckman.

[TPeers]

At what height are the roosting bars compared to the nestboxes?

Given the rooster uses the bars I assume they are wide enough? 3" square bars?

Are the nestboxes enclosed or open trays?

The best suggestion I can make, if the boxes are enclosed - since I agree that roosting in the nest boxes is not desirable, if only from the mess in the straw aspect, is to put a board across the mouth of the nestboxes at dusk (after evicting the residents!) and remove it first thing when you open up in the morning. After a few days they should get the hang of the bars.

[witch-1]

I had the same problem... I tried to place them on the perch but this distressed them, so I've left them to it. I've had my hens since beginning of August. I do think one of the three perches, but the other two huddle together in the nest box. They are happy hens - and two of them are laying regularly so I am leaving them to it!

I looked at the position of my perch also, its just off the floor and is square. So I don't think that was the problem.

Might look at boarding off also!! They seem to do most of their mess just in one corner. Sometimes in the nest box and sometimes in the coup itself! Nowt strange as hens!!
Jan

[roitelet]

I had the same problem and they were laying on the floor of the house! Did what TPeers suggested and also put some pingpong balls in the nest box. It worked and only took about a week for them to get the message.

Nicely organised chooks now, roosting on the perches and laying in the box

[TPeers]

I had the same problem... I tried to place them on the perch but this distressed them, so I've left them to it. I've had my hens since beginning of August. I do think one of the three perches, but the other two huddle together in the nest box. They are happy hens - and two of them are laying regularly so I am leaving them to it!

I looked at the position of my perch also, its just off the floor and is square. So I don't think that was the problem.

Might look at boarding off also!! They seem to do most of their mess just in one corner. Sometimes in the nest box and sometimes in the coup itself! Nowt strange as hens!!
Jan

Hate to be annoying but the height of the bar might be the problem! It should be higher than the nest boxes as the birds will head for the highest comfortable perch to roost. Also have the sharp corners of the perch been taken off? Roosting bars need to be 2.5 to 3 inch square bars with rounded edges ALL the way around so as not to cut the birds feet.

Sorry!

[muckman]

Thanks for the tips.
My bars are 3" square with rounded edges and higher than the nest boxes.
Just looking at the reply from Tpeers and wonderd because that my nest boxes are on the same level as my coop floor might be a problem. Im not worried but would like to have nice clean eggs and nest boxes.

[TPeers]

Thanks for the tips.
My bars are 3" square with rounded edges and higher than the nest boxes.
Just looking at the reply from Tpeers and wonderd because that my nest boxes are on the same level as my coop floor might be a problem. Im not worried but would like to have nice clean eggs and nest boxes.

I built my own hen house with the nest boxes at the same level as the floor, seperated from the main roost floor by a 1.5" batten - this is generally enough to keep the straw and eggs in place unless the girls decide to rearrange the layout!

I have been known to find eggs rolled down the ramp and into the run - so not foolproof - one book I read stated that anything up to a 6" lip is required to be sure....... not sure I want to go quite that far!

[muckman]

thanx

Thank you all, no doubt il be asking again.

[scooby]

my nest boxes are about 14 inches square and a foot off the ground the roosting bar is about 2 1/2 feet off the floor my chooks started off in the boxes but after about a week of gently lifting them out and placing them on the bar after dark they now roost there all the time

[muckman]

sorted

My chooks are all rossting on the bars now, they started 3 days ago. Thanks for the tips everyone.