Chickens sleeping on Nesting boxes

[WindsorChicken]

Good morning
Question.. how do I get my chickens to stop sleeping on top of their nesting boxes and onto the roost?
At bedtime they all huddle up together on one end of the nesting boxes (I covered them up with a board until laying time)
Droppings are making their way inside the boxes. I've put a roosting bar higher than the nesting boxes in hopes they would sleep there, but they only go on it for a short time.... eventually reverting back to the top of nesting boxes.

 

[KarynVA]

What is the roosting bar like? Maybe it's too narrow? Is there enough space for all of them on the roosting bar? Is it darker at the nesting boxes than at the roosting bar (maybe they are sleeping where it's darkest)?

 

[Ada06]

Good morning
Question.. how do I get my chickens to stop sleeping on top of their nesting boxes and onto the roost?
At bedtime they all huddle up together on one end of the nesting boxes (I covered them up with a board until laying time)
Droppings are making their way inside the boxes. I've put a roosting bar higher than the nesting boxes in hopes they would sleep there, but they only go on it for a short time.... eventually reverting back to the top of nesting boxes.

Mine did that until their wings could carry them up onto the roosting bar.

 

[Jenwisp]

I put a slope of plywood above ours so they can't sit on them. Now they all use the roosting bars.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I second a sloped nest lid.

A steep slope actually.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Good morning
Question.. how do I get my chickens to stop sleeping on top of their nesting boxes and onto the roost?
At bedtime they all huddle up together on one end of the nesting boxes (I covered them up with a board until laying time)
Droppings are making their way inside the boxes. I've put a roosting bar higher than the nesting boxes in hopes they would sleep there, but they only go on it for a short time.... eventually reverting back to the top of nesting boxes.

Pics of the nest boxes?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of nests and roosts would help.