Hen is sleeping in nest box for no apparent reason

[Jemma Rider]

My hen Rosie, who has always been a bit of an odd ball, has been sleeping in the nest boxes for two weeks now. She likes to sleep in the one closest to the door and that's where my girls lay all of their eggs. Normally i wouldn't mind, she used to sleep in the nest box farthest from the door every night, but since she's started this I've been getting dirty eggs.
It's weird she started now, i opened up more roosting space in the rafters of my coop, so two of my hens fly up there every night, one of the two is my bully hen Eyo, who's the reason Rosie slept in the boxes to begin with. The only two others left on the roosts are my rooster, Rooster, and my hen Daisy, who is Rosie's protector. Rosie and rooster get along well so as far as i can tell no one is chasing her into them, and Rosie stays close to Daisy when the bully is around because Daisy will give Eyo a good peck on the head for going after Rosie.
I have more then enough roosting space and the roosts are in good condition, not splintering or anything. I've read about mites that hide in the coop and come out to bite the birds while they roost at night but i think that the other two chickens who sleep on the roosts would try to move too and they've been content sitting on the roosts every night.
I've gone out a few nights in a row to shoo her out but she just goes back in. When she's done this before it's because of the bully chasing her into a box and making her stay there until morning, and it wasn't an issue because no one laid eggs in that box anyway. I know there must be a reason for her wanting to sleep in the boxes but i can't quite put my finger on it.
Here's a picture of the rafters where my two hens sleep and the roosts and nest boxes. I'm having my father build me new roosts soon, i want them all to be parallel and higher up, he's just very busy at the moment so that may not be possible for a week or two.

 

[JaeG]

You may have to spend a few nights going out when it's dark and placing her on the roost. It shouldn't take long for her to work out that's where she should be going to bed. One night you'll go out and she'll be up there with the others.

I have two Houdans and I think due to their top knots they often can't see well enough to get up on the roosts so they'll choose the boxes. Only problem is my little bantams will think this is a great idea and snuggle in with them for warmth. Very cute but very messy. So I block the nest boxes off, stuffing empty feed bags in them.

 

[Jemma Rider]

You may have to spend a few nights going out when it's dark and placing her on the roost. It shouldn't take long for her to work out that's where she should be going to bed. One night you'll go out and she'll be up there with the others.

I have two Houdans and I think due to their top knots they often can't see well enough to get up on the roosts so they'll choose the boxes. Only problem is my little bantams will think this is a great idea and snuggle in with them for warmth. Very cute but very messy. So I block the nest boxes off, stuffing empty feed bags in them.

I figured I'd just need to move her, it's annoying but I'll do anything for them. That is a good idea though, to stuff the boxes with empty feed bags. I have three pullets that will be moving in in a month or two and I've been trying to get money together to buy materials for nest box curtains but between this years annual vet bills and my usual costs my animal savings have been bled dry.
Thanks!

 

[karissapaul]

shes broody and if her eggs are dirty then she has worms

 

[Jemma Rider]

shes broody and if her eggs are dirty then she has worms

she's not broody, she only roosts in the boxes she spends the entire day outside and Rosie doesn't lay eggs, I've had broody hens before sorry i should've been more detailed in my original post. The eggs are dirty because she's pooping in the box and my three hens who lay eggs lay in the early morning, I've been trying to get up early enough to clean the box first but since I'm fighting off a bad cold it's proven unsuccessful so far. Thanks

 

[Peppercorngal]

There is definitely a reason she is using that particular box, we humans just don't know the reason. I'd block the box, no sleeping and no laying either. That assumes that you have other boxes for the girls to use, yes? Let them all adjust to a change! Problem solved? Maybe, you can only try it. Later when she gets used to a new sleeping spot open the nest box again. Good luck!

 

[Jemma Rider]

There is definitely a reason she is using that particular box, we humans just don't know the reason. I'd block the box, no sleeping and no laying either. That assumes that you have other boxes for the girls to use, yes? Let them all adjust to a change! Problem solved? Maybe, you can only try it. Later when she gets used to a new sleeping spot open the nest box again. Good luck!

Okay i can do that, i have three other boxes (and i want to install more soon since i have three new pullets to introduce soon). I knew there was some reason, but as you said I'm human and just can't understand all of the ways of my chicken friends as hard as i try. It'll be a change for the laying girls too, they always lay in that box, since I've gotten them I've never seen them use any of the others.
Thank you lots!

 

[karissapaul]

Rosie doesn't lay eggs,

why doesn't she lay eggs?

 

[Jemma Rider]

why doesn't she lay eggs?

I don't know, i had a thread about it a while ago but she hasn't laid since I've had her, at least not consistently. She's three years old at least, i bought her as a two year old, I've almost had her and her flock a year and I've gotten maybe six eggs total from Rosie. There's nothing visibly wrong with her, she might lay every few months (her eggs are unique, my hens all lay blue eggs except for Rosie she lays green), but it's very rare, her eggs are very small compared to my other girls.
i think it's either age or stress, she's on the bottom of the pecking order so she's chased and pecked sometimes (nothing bad, she just avoids the not nice hens and sticks close to my rooster and the more polite ones).
She had a pretty bad respiratory infection when i first got her (given to me this way), I've read that sometimes it can knock out a hens reproductive system. I treated her with antibiotics and pretty soon she was back on her feet and better then ever.
She shows no signs of sickness, she's active and a very good eater.
I don't mind that she doesn't lay, i keep my chooks as pets so unless it's a health issue i don't mind.
Is there something else it could be? I'm still looking for an explanation, but since she doesn't act sick (and hasn't for almost a year) I'm not overly concerned.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My solution if you have conventional nest boxes. . Gallon jugs of vinegar or washer fluid bottles wedged in each box an hour before sunset when I let them out to free range.
I leave all night because I open coop before sunrise. But you can remove after sunset when you lockup the coop.
I did this for two weeks for a older hen that decided to sleep in nests was a good thing, and it's been months since she has slept in nests. GC