Hen sleeping in nest box?

[sourland]

Any possibility that she is molting? She may find the nest box to be warmer.

 

[Ted Brown]

Any possibility that she is molting? She may find the nest box to be warmer.

My flock molted through the summer and early fall, initially thought it was pecking and feather pulling but that thought was lack of experience. Once the cooler temperatures started they regrew feathers and down very quickly.

 

[rosemarythyme]

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?

x2, I find this much easier to stomach than waking up early to uncover nest boxes.

I had a hen that suddenly decided she wanted to sleep in the nests, with no obvious cause, so we just used some cardboard to cover the nests in late afternoon, then removed the covers once it was fully dark. We did this for a few months, but when I went on vacation for a few days, hubby didn't bother covering the boxes. He was happy to report the hen didn't try to sleep in the nests, so we've stopped covering the boxes.