Hen sleeping in nest box?

[Ted Brown]

Recently a 3 year old ISA hen has started sleeping in one of my 4 nest boxes. The other hens now avoid using that nest as, I assume, it is soiled.

I am curious why this might have started and if there is anything I can do to deter.

Nests are all much lower than the roosts.

Thanks

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Recently a 3 year old ISA hen has started sleeping in one of my 4 nest boxes. The other hens now avoid using that nest as, I presume, it is soiled.

I am curious why this might have started and if there is anything I can do to deter.

Nests are all much lower than the roosts.

Thanks

Maybe she like that better. But seeing you mention that they are much lower than the roosts, are you sure she isn’t injured?

 

[Ted Brown]

... are you sure she isn’t injured?

I don't think so as she does not stay in the box during the day and mixes with the rest of the flock both in the coop and run areas.

I have not closely inspected her but will.

 

[swamphiker]

I have a hen who does this despite there being plenty of roost space available. It started after I re-integrated her with the flock after a possum attack. Since her injury, she has been low on the pecking order, which I think is why she started roosting in the nesting box and continued after fully healing even though she can easily jump up to the roosting bars. Now I think it's just become habit; I move her from the box to a roost nearly every evening when I go and check on them, but that hasn't broken her of the habit.

My next idea is to block off the nesting boxes in the late afternoon after all the eggs have been laid, I'm hoping that will get her back into the habit of roosting on the bars. I hope this is a helpful comment since both of our chickens are having the same issue!

 

[Ted Brown]

@swamphiker i did think she might have gone down the pecking order. My ISAs were my first and ruled things for awhile. I hatched some mixed birds and later some Chanteclers, as they have grown and the ISAs got older their dominance has diminished.

 

[Chookchicken]

Just put her on the roost every night. There are no guarantees that it will break the habit though. If it doesn’t work then I’d close the nesting box of at night.

 

[Ted Brown]

Closing the nest box means I would have to get outside early so that my morning layers would have access.

I have just gone through that as my water heater quit, now replaced. This morning was - 32c (-25.6f), I need my coffee before I go outside.

 

[Ridgerunner]

i did think she might have gone down the pecking order. My ISAs were my first and ruled things for awhile. I hatched some mixed birds and later some Chanteclers, as they have grown and the ISAs got older their dominance has diminished.

This might be a clue. It's possible with a change in the pecking order that she is getting bullied as they settle down for the night so she is looking for a safer place to sleep. At night as they settle on the roosts is when mine are most brutal as the ones higher in the pecking order move the ones that are settling where they want to sleep. It's possible the new queen of the hill is being especially brutal to the former queen so that message really sinks in.

I can understand wanting a cup of coffee before heading out. Even in a gentler climate I like to do that. Think about your nighttime routine. Could you block the nests in late afternoon and open them back up after dark and she has found some other place to sleep?
I have no idea of this would work at all, but you might try blocking that one nest and see what happens. Chickens sometimes do really strange things.

 

[Ted Brown]

@Ridgerunner good thought I am usually fetching wood in the evening anyway. Thx.

 

[theoldchick]

I have one hen that is a nest box sleeper, too. Her feet are fine and everything palpates normally so I let her be. I clean the box every morning and change the bedding once a week. Her buddy roosts nearby while the rest of the flock roosts in another area of the coop, so suspect she is an outcast of the flock. It works for her so I let her do her thing.