Hen sleeping in egg box

[QChickieMama]

I have 5 hens living in a chicken tractor, and they've been just fine. In the last few weeks, one of the hens started sleeping in the egg box and they're not laying because of molt. So, I keep cleaning out the poo, but this one hen isn't looking great. She's losing feathers and looking puny.

What do you think is going on?

 

[sourland]

She may be sleeping in the nest box in an attempt to stay warm.

 

[chfite]

If she is molting, she would look rather ratty and disheveled. I blocked the nesting boxes at night to stop sleeping in the nesting boxes. Chickens usually keep themselves warm with their down comforters.

Is there room on the roost for all the birds? Is the roost higher than the nesting boxes? Chickens like to roost as high as they can.

Chris

 

[PineShavings]

Speaking from experience, it could be from this hen is often bullied so it won't get enough food leading it to be "puny" in your words. Also, when I was making a new coop for about 10 of my chickens, I placed them in a temporary coop where they were constantly fighting for the best spot to roost and sleep at night.. so the next best place was the nesting boxes. In fact, one of my young roosters had to make do at night for about a week in a nesting box while I was finishing their permanent coop.

 

[NickW1]

She may be sleeping in the nest box in an attempt to stay warm.

+1 My alpha hen started roosting in a nesting box when she went into molt, she's just trying to stay warm because we had a very cold fall; however, it makes for a nasty nesting box. At night when I lock them up I gently boot her out of the nesting box and block all the boxes off. Good Luck.

 

[QChickieMama]

I think there's room on the roost for all the 5 hens. They're in a 3' wide chicken tractor, so that's 5 hens on a bar 3' long. It's higher than the nest box and feed station.

I can't quite tell if the others are bullying her or not.

 

[aart]

1 foot of bar for each bird, put another roost in there at the same height and see what happens.
Chance she's broody?

 

[aoxa]

1 foot of bar for each bird, put another roost in there at the same height and see what happens.
Chance she's broody?

I agree. Not enough roosting space.

I need to add more, as I have a bunch roosting in the nesting boxes. I clean them every morning. I need to stop procrastinating and add more roost space...