Do your hens sleep in the nesting boxes?

[BDutch]

Hens poop where they sleep! Adds germs to the eggs. no sleeping in the nesting boxes. We cover them up at night when someone is broody, and open them during the day.

This was what I thought and did too until I had a chicken that got very nervous. She was bullied every evening when she wanted to roost. She couldn’t (was not allowed) sleep with the others. I tried to ‘convince’ her to roost with the others for about 2 months. But finally (with advice from people on this forum) I realised this was not the way to go.

After I let her sleep in one nestbox during winter, she started to roost by herself in a separate coop. Now she’s still a nervous chicken but finally she’s one of the flock. She lays pointy white eggs and became a beautiful elegant and fierce chicken.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

When I first got my 2 hens, they slept on the roosts. But ever since their first time being broody (soon after we got them), they have decided to sleep in the nesting boxes EVEN WHEN THEY AREN'T BROODY.

This IS NOT my coop but the inside is very similar. I have a small flock so only have a small coop.
https://www.vidaxl.co.uk/e/vidaxl-c...MIquWridni8AIViwLmCh1tQw3oEAQYCCABEgIklPD_BwE

My chicks have been roosting since they have shared the coop with the hens and had had access to the roosts (which was on the 21st of May)

Why are my hens doing this? Is it more comfy for them? I am fine with them doing it but I am just confused.

Don’t worry. Chickens switch things around. Generally they prefer to roost at night so they will probably go to the roost eventually. It won’t hurt them to sleep in the nesting boxes. You’ll find all kinds of behaviors. Sometimes they will decide they will only lay in one box and will pile on top of each other in one box leaving the others empty then switch again. If it doesn’t hurt them and they are safe from predators, don’t worry.

 

[Citytransplant]

I had the same problem until I figured out that the nest boxes were higher than the roost. Chicken like to sleep on the highest point. I didn't like them sleeping in the nest boxes because the eggs would then be full of poop. Now I have clean eggs.

 

[Judy Todd]

Hens poop where they sleep! Adds germs to the eggs. no sleeping in the nesting boxes. We cover them up at night when someone is broody, and open them during the day.

I agree with Melody, poopy eggs, yuk, my 11 week old chicks are starting to try the nest boxes, I block them off after 9PM and gently move the chicks to a roosting bar, important that it be almost dark when you do this. After a few nights they will get the idea.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I don't have the separators in the boxes since my hens like to sleep together

 

[BunsenNBeaker]

My two older hen (6 &7yrs) Both sleep in a nesting box together. Its actually an old raised rabbit hut they made their own 4 years ago when they decided to move out of the large coop with the other hens. We tried everything at first to get them to roost in the big coop but they favored the rabbit hutch. Lol So, now we say they share their own little apartment uptown. Lol As long as they're happy we're happy.

 

[chickencoop57]

This was what I thought and did too until I had a chicken that got very nervous. She was bullied every evening when she wanted to roost. She couldn’t (was not allowed) sleep with the others. I tried to ‘convince’ her to roost with the others for about 2 months. But finally (with advice from people on this forum) I realised this was not the way to go.

After I let her sleep in one nestbox during winter, she started to roost by herself in a separate coop. Now she’s still a nervous chicken but finally she’s one of the flock. She lays pointy white eggs and became a beautiful elegant and fierce chicken.

View attachment 2693966

She's pretty!

 

[ajackalope]

One of my birds sleeps in the nesting box for the winter. You would think it's cozier roosting with her sisters than sleeping in a metal box, but she loves it. At some point she moves back to the roost.