Re: Building coop

From: KSL (bulldust_at_dancepulse.com.au)
Date: 12/30/04 

Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 15:08:59 +1100

Joel,

What is the basis for your not wanting them to sleep in the nesting boxes?
Nugget and Perri-Perri became members of the family on 1 November. I got
the birds and the coop from Rentachook www.rentachook.com.au Although I
am a keen woodworker, somehow the idea of building a coop did not enthral me
( I am more inclined to building furniture) so I just settled for the coop
he supplies. Of course, I built a substantial yard around the coop for
times when we need to have them secured other than at night when they are in
the coop.

The only reason I can think of for trying to get them to roost on the bar is
to try to keep the nesting straw a bit cleaner. In my (or should I say,
their?)coop there is a roosting bar in line with the front edge of the nest
area so if they are roosting on the bar their 'nocturnal ablutions' still
end up in the nest area depending on which way they face when sitting on the
bar (a possible design fault in the coop).

For the first week or two, they roosted on the roosting bar, but one day
took to sleeping in the nest area and have done so ever since.

Is there a good reason to try to get them to go back to roosting on the bar
and, if so, how does one achieve that?

BTW, they seem to be happy, if egg production is any measure. We got 54
eggs in November and in the thirty days thus far in December we have had 58
eggs. How big is the risk of affecting the egg production if I try to
change their habits?

Many thanks
Ken Lipworth
Sydney

"Joel" <nospam@nospam.mil> wrote in message
news:FuHAd.41054$Vo.32482@fe06.lga...
> At four months I put the nesting boxes in the hen house (I waited because
I
> wanted them to sleep on the roosts and not in the nesting boxes).