cuddleing in nest not on roost

[tav1]

thought i made a tread on this....oh well. I've had these 3 hens since sat. (yr. old) and so far there doing great got 7 eggs so far , so I think there adjusting well.

at night I find 2 out of 3 cuddling and the 3rd is by it self I really want to break this cuz there pooping in the nest. I think I need to buy a single hen nest so they sleep somewhere else and not in the nest. what do you think? I tried putting them on the roost but find them in the nest, I guess there keeping warm. it's a little chilly at night now.

this is my nest.

 

[johanssonmel]

I had one in particular that kept sleeping (and pooping!) in the nests. I went out every late afternoon and booby-trapped the nests by laying a board half-in half-out of the nest, so that if they jumped up there it would fall. I also went out every evening after they'd gone to bed and physically moved her from the nest onto the roost.

I've got 9 hens, though; it may be easier for them to stay warm on the roosts. Plus, it's not as cold down here as in some other areas of the country.

 

[Happy Chooks]

You have to move them to the roost every night for about a week. Then they will be more secure in their surroundings and roost on the roost. The roosts need to be higher than the nest box, which I am assuming is the case since your nest box appears to be on the floor.

 

[tav1]

1 (roost) is about a foot of the floor and the other is about a foot and a 1/2. shoulf i get i one hen nest to detour them in sleeping in this nest?

 

[justplainbatty]

1 (roost) is about a foot of the floor and the other is about a foot and a 1/2. shoulf i get i one hen nest to detour them in sleeping in this nest?

My flock all roost over 5 feet off the ground with the odd ones out only roosting at 3 or 4 feet and not liking it. But if you can double the height of your roost to 3 feet they may find it more appealing safety wise~just a thought....