Rhonda wrote:
"Any suggestions about how to break someone from spending all night in the nest boxes? I've still got the four (two cockerels and two pullets) who want to stay in the ..."
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99.9999% probability this is a peck order situation arising from insufficient perch spacing.
Birds need a minimum of 6 lineal inches (15 cm) per bird.
Individual perches should be long enough to accommodate no more than 10 birds = 60 inches + "overflow" of 2 "spaces" =72 inches (183 cm).
There should be enough perches to accommodate the entire flock + 1. Thus if one has 30 birds there need to be at least 4 perches.
If the perches are "ganged" such as over a dropping pit or board, the vertical and horizontal separation between perches should be at least 12 inches (30 cm).
(It is o.k. to "skimp" 3 inches on the horizontal if necessary.)
The lowest perch should be at least 12-18 inches above the floor. Thus with the 1st perch at 18 inches a 4 perch roost will be 54 inches (1.4 M) high, 36 inches (92 cm) deep and 6 feet (183 cm) wide.
Happy Chicken Keeping.
Prof.
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