To roost or not to roost? Pictures!

[Newtothis]

I've finaly got some chooks and am over the moon with them! Bethan the Light Sussex is the boss with Rhiannon the Cuckoo Marren the underdog (or hen).
But the place I got them from has reared them in a large canvas poly tunnel thing...like a barn I guess and they don't seem to know that they are meant to roost.
I've tried placing them on, but every morning they are on the floor or squashed up in the nest box..
This is sorta OK except that last night one of them layed an egg - in the middle of the coop floor - and it got squashed. Then earlier today another egg.....this time in the middle of the run!! We managed to rescue that one.
Any ideas of how we can teach them to roost? Or doesn't it matter?
I need to find a way of making the nest box a nest box again though.......
Advice please....
Oh and pictures attached, cos I know you like pictures

[Suechooks]

Can you block off the nest box at night? The perch needs to be higher than the top of the nest box. Wait till dark then place them on the perch. If they're not used to roosting it may take a while. Be patient and persevere. To encourage laying in the nest box try putting a pot egg (or a golf ball) in there to show them that's where they're meant to lay them.

[CaroltheCarrot]

Rightly or wrongly mine dont roost, two silkies sleep in the nesting boxes and the others just sleep on the floor, ah spending extra dosh on an extra perch,priceless!!

[frias]

First 6 ex-batts I got didn't use the perches. I tried putting them on every night but gave up in the end. The next 3 ex-batts used the perches straight away and some of the oldies then joined them. OH has just put in a low perch for the new POL as the oldies won't allow them on the high perches. It just makes cleaning so much easier if they roost on perches. I put newspaper underneath and just remove it in the morning. No need to poo pck in the coop and saves a fortune on shavings.

[Newtothis]

I'll try and block the nest box tonight. Wasn't quick enough last night as two had already stuffed themselves in there by dusk. They are getting calmer each night so I might try and place them on the perch again tonight, although last night it was like keeping plates spinning on sticks....no sooner had I placed one than the others just jumped off again!
The latest is trying to dig to China in the wood chippings - must be at least a hen deep in places. They are fascinating creatures aren't they!

[RedThorn]

Love the pics Their antics is what makes keeping them such a joy. Bet the one digging had a who me? look on her face and all when you caught her at it.

Block off the nest box or place tubs in there to prevent them from getting in the nest box at night. Some of my girls decided to roost on top of my greenhouse when they were still new (8 or 9ft off the ground, you shoulda seen me trying to get them off, it was a scene the makers of Laurel and Hardy would have been proud of. Keeping the nest box clear at night makes it far easier to keep clean in the long run. As to the roosting, it's up o you, I had some who roosted all the time, some never did and others who roosted when they fancied it. I never worried about it, as long as they were happy, so was I

[baldrick]

sleeping in the nest is a nasty habit coz when they lay vey early on summer mornings they lay in poo and sometimes poo on top of the egg too, so while i dont think its a big problem, it is if you dont like dirty eggs. the two chicks I hatched are still sleeping in the nest at 11 weeks old and I have a feeling its a habit that will now stick. great creatures of habit chooks....

[RichmondHens]

Sometimes you have to get tough with them. There is always a lazy chicken who will try and sleep in the nestbox but you must nip it in the bud. Just like training a puppy not to jump up/sleep on the sofa etc. Cute as a puppy, a bloody nightmare when a large adult. Chickens are no different. Get tough and either block the nestboxes off at night or remove them to the perches once they are asleep. Make sure your perches are higher than the nestbox as well. Chickens always make for the highest spot to roost in/on. Nestboxes can be at ground level with a perch a few inches higher.

[SMS6]

I have 3 chickens and they used to sleep in the nest boxes too and all sort of squash up on top of each other - didn't look at all comfortable so I started blocking the boxes at night. None of mine are early morning layers so it isn't a problem.

We also built them a perch for their run so they could practice in the daytime


Since I started doing this 2 out of the 3 now perch at night, the other one just sleeps on the house floor, but happily perches at other times.

If I forget to block the two still perch but that one goes back to the box. If they've settled before I get round to it, I just move her out.

[Newtothis]

Success!!
I blocked the nest box last night and lowered the perch. Three of the four on the perch this morning!
Nice piles of poo beneath, a pleasure to clean!
And an egg in the nest box mid day!!
Good girls - now we're making progress.
I've made an outside perch for them to practice during the day too - we'll see what this evening brings.

Thanks for the help.

David