hens sleeping in the nesting boxes

[Egghead_Jr]

Quote:
This is what I'll have to do. Have the same problem. With straw it's easy to flip the night leavings under each morning but not an ideal situation. Believe it was due to pullets still being timid around the two hens when integrated to coop so would hide in nest boxes. We were hoping once they became a full fledged flock society they'd use the roosts, then hoped that come colder nights they'd huddle together. Well they do, just two pullets per nest box.

 

[hispoptart]

Mine were sleeping in the nesting boxes also so I blocked them off at night and instead of roosting they sleep in a pile on the floor under the roost. I have forgotten to unblock the nesting boxes and they lay their eggs on the floor right where they sleep. I can't win. My coop is small, not a walk in kind so reaching in through the access door and putting them up on the roosts is not an option for me.