Hens Sleeping in Laying Boxes

[DCHICKMAN]

OK,, does anyone have any ideas on how to stop young hens from sleeping in, which leads to pooping in thier laying boxes? My hens should be laying eggs very soon, but I have a few hens that refuse to sleep on perches and constantly sleep in the laying boxes. Thanks !

 

[Venevee]

I have a few hens that do this too, they are older laying hens. Try putting up some new roosts that may interest them and encourage them from sleeping in the nesting boxes. If you can, try to find a way to block off the nesting boxes at night, my nesting box has a wire door I can use to shut it at night.

 

[drumstick diva]

Maybe your young gals are getting bullied on the roosts, so prefer to sleep safely in the nest boxes.

 

[aart]

OK,, does anyone have any ideas on how to stop young hens from sleeping in, which leads to pooping in thier laying boxes? My hens should be laying eggs very soon, but I have a few hens that refuse to sleep on perches and constantly sleep in the laying boxes. Thanks !

Welcome to BYC!

More info on your flock and coop would help solve this mystery....it's usually pretty straightforward.
How many birds do you have?
How old are they?
How big is your coop, in feet by feet?
How many feet of roost length do you have?
Are your roosts higher than your nests by at least a foot?
Pics of inside of coop showing nests and roosts would help too.

I have a hinged board that covers my nest entrances and the perch in front of them.
Flip it down an hour or so before roost time, then open back up when I lock up after dark.
This forces them to use the roosts.
Can take awhile to change their habit....longer when young pullets are in the flock until they start laying.

You can also take them out of the nests and put them on the roosts well after dark...but the nest cover is much easier.

 

[TeeMom]

I've had this problem in the past as well, but I knew I would. My top row of nest boxes is higher than the lowest roost, but I didn't have any other options for design. I ordered a cheap tarp, put a couple of screw-in hooks it the top of my next boxes and just covered them every night for a while. Eventually the younger pullets that were using the nests found their space in the pecking order and everyone settled in on the roosts. Now I don't have to use it, but once every month or two when one of them will try it again. As others have implied, yours may be an entirely different issue of space or design.

 

[Louise Waffles]

I filled gallon jugs with water, and put them in tne nest box. It was kind of a pain, but they quit sleeping in them.

 

[DCHICKMAN]

Thank you for the reply.... that sounds like an idea to try!

 

[DCHICKMAN]

Thanks for the help!

 

[ajhaig]

If I opt to cover or close off the nests, that means all my work to install the automatic timed sliding entrance door is in vain if I have to go out there to cover and uncover nests. I guess moving her after dark is what I will try.