Half my hens sleeping in nesting boxes

[Eggstravert]

yeah they can all fit on the highest perch easily, even the middle level one is comparable to the nesting box bar. This nesting box does indeed have the fold up bars, I can try that first and see if it dissuades them

 

[aart]

yeah they can all fit on the highest perch easily, even the middle level one is comparable to the nesting box bar. This nesting box does indeed have the fold up bars, I can try that first and see if it dissuades them

Should work, maybe get a large piece of cardboard to put behind the folded up nest perches as an additional visual deterrent.

 

[azygous]

Here's the thing. Chickens will often prefer to sleep in a comfy nest box even when the perches are higher than the nests. You can try all sorts of tricks to try to get them to stop, but the only way you'll succeed is to block off the nests at night, and be prepared to block them off each night for a good long while.

I have two coops and sets of nest boxes in each. The perches are higher than the nests. Yet, there are a few hens that try to sneak into the nests whenever they can.

One of these hens routinely roosts in one coop, yet each night she goes to the other coop and checks to see if I've forgotten to block off the nest boxes. If I'm absent minded, she will immediately take possession of a nest at floor level and snuggle in for the night. That is, until I notice and swat her butt out of the nest with a broom. Undeterred, she continues to routinely check the coop each night for an unblocked nest.

I have no illusions of ever training her to stop opportunistically trying to catch me absent minded. To combat these hens' bad habits, I've developed my own habit of blocking the nests off each night. It's easier than fighting with the stubborn critters.

 

[Eggstravert]

Wanted to follow up on this for others who might find this thread with a similar problem. In my case, they didn't have a roost initially so understandably they used the nesting box bars since they like to be off the ground. Initially they were suspicious of their new roost when I added it, but I coaxed them to hop up on it with meal worms and that seemed to help their comfort level. Then I covered the nesting boxes with a sheet and stapled it in place for a few weeks until they all started using the roost, then I took it off, filled the nesting boxes with clean shavings and put a golf ball in each and it worked like a champ, now they all have their favorite box and lay their eggs where they are supposed to and sleep where they are supposed to, success!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks for the update. I'm glad they are all doing as they are supposed to now. Nest sleeping makes for poopy eggs.

 

[samayeam]

Excellent thread with outstanding answers. The last sentence posted by oldhenslikesdogs was why I started research on the problem, specifically, "nest sleeping makes for poopy eggs." Never a truer statement made! Thanks to everyone.