Hens don't roost at night, they sleep in nest boxes....IS THIS NORMAL?

[StephanieD]

I have three girls that sleep in the nesting boxes at night and one that roosts. Is this normal???

 

[gdplum]

...totally normal...about half of mine sleep in nests...the other use the roost. Then they switch occationally.

 

[mistymeadowchicks]

It may be normal, but you'll probably want to discourage it or you'll have nests full of poop & nasty eggs! I had a couple hens that started, I'd just take them out of the nest boxes & set them on one of the roosts when I locked up at night. Eventually they caught on & it hasn't happened since.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
you have to do it this way or they just RUIN the nest boxes with poop!

I moved two new hens into my big coop last week. Three nights of taking them from the nests and putting them on the roosts and tonight when I went out, everyone had a spot on the roosts.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
x2 It doesn't take long to break them and it will save getting messy eggs.

 

[Kathryn4629]

Quote:
x2 It doesn't take long to break them and it will save getting messy eggs.

x3!!!! I did the exact same thing and they all roost just fine now.

 

[JulieNKC]

Mine don't like to roost either. They all sleep on top of a rabbit hutch I have in the coop that I use to lock the little ones in before introducing them to the flock. Luckily it's wire so easy to clean, unless the silkies decide to sleep under them. Thanks for asking this, I didn't know they would start sleeping on their roosts if I kept moving them. Now I learned something.

 

[sourland]

If the roosts are not higher than the nest boxes, raise them. Chickens generally like to sleep at the highest point possible in the coop. Except for silkies, and are they really chickens?

 

[ScotianChick]

It's normal but easy to fix if you want to so you don't have poopy nest boxes. I broke mine of it by repeatedly picking them up and putting them on the roost at night. They got the picture eventually.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Sourland is so correct. Make sure your roost is higher than the nest boxes. Good luck.