3yr old hen sleeping in the nesting box

[rcm1201]

No shes an Australorp and possibly the smallest or close to the smallest of the bunch

2x2 edges aren't rounded but do not come to a point. Semi-smooth.

When I shoo her out of the nesting box at night, she hops on the perches no problem and sleeps there all night no problem. She just seems to prefer the nesting box

 

[HappyHippyChick]

No shes an Australorp and possibly the smallest or close to the smallest of the bunch

2x2 edges aren't rounded but do not come to a point. Semi-smooth.

When I shoo her out of the nesting box at night, she hops on the perches no problem and sleeps there all night no problem. She just seems to prefer the nesting box

Possible a diva

 

[Dhkoenig]

Out of nowhere 1 of my 7 hens started sleeping in the nesting box. I assumed it’s because sleeping quarters were getting tight so after a couple weeks I added another perch. Now I go out there nightly and put cardboard on the nesting box so the hen won’t jump in to go to sleep there. How long will I need to do this every night?

One of my original hens, now about 3 1/2, sometimes does this for a period of time. I think it is at times when the drama at perch time is too much. She is a shy/flighty type and sometimes she just can't deal with the drama. She also tends to be a bit weaker than my others in general, so times when she is feeling fragile - something hurts (welcome to my world) she tries to sleep down there. I just go out and put her up after dark and after a few nights she will go up by herself. Have you checked her feet? Bumblefoot? Or to see if she is limping at all? I hope you get it figured out! No fun!

 

[Baileybunchx5]

Out of nowhere 1 of my 7 hens started sleeping in the nesting box. I assumed it’s because sleeping quarters were getting tight so after a couple weeks I added another perch. Now I go out there nightly and put cardboard on the nesting box so the hen won’t jump in to go to sleep there. How long will I need to do this every night?

How did you make out with this? I have one that is almost a year old that has started doing this. She was molting some idk if that has anything to do with why she started to do that

 

[rcm1201]

How did you make out with this? I have one that is almost a year old that has started doing this. She was molting some idk if that has anything to do with why she started to do that

After a couple weeks with the added coop perch she eventually started back on the perch on her own. Haven’t had issues since