While it's inconvenient to clean droppings from the nest box(es), is there another reason why you don't want someone sleeping in there? For whatever reason, I've always had at least one hen who prefers the box to the roost more often than not. They don't usually lay eggs in that box, so I don't have messes to clean up in the egg box(es).
I've personally decided that if someone is more comfortable & feels more secure in a box than on the roost with the other girls who can bump, jostle & sometime do their best snapping turtle impressions, well that's fine by me.
I know that it's not going to be popular to say that and many folks will disagree with letting them sleep where they're comfortable. I tried to follow the advice of 'shoo them out of the boxes each night' one time & ended up with a super p.o'd, defensive hen who would peck & bite any time my hand got near her.
So for me, I weigh the difference between the inconvenience of scooping the box of a happy girl v having a clean box & an unhappy biddy who bites. Happy trumps biddy every day at my place!
I've personally decided that if someone is more comfortable & feels more secure in a box than on the roost with the other girls who can bump, jostle & sometime do their best snapping turtle impressions, well that's fine by me.
I know that it's not going to be popular to say that and many folks will disagree with letting them sleep where they're comfortable. I tried to follow the advice of 'shoo them out of the boxes each night' one time & ended up with a super p.o'd, defensive hen who would peck & bite any time my hand got near her.
So for me, I weigh the difference between the inconvenience of scooping the box of a happy girl v having a clean box & an unhappy biddy who bites. Happy trumps biddy every day at my place!
