How to stop hens sleeping in nest box

[PaulaSB12]

As the title says I have 4 chickens who I found sleeping in two nest boxes so how do I persuade them to sleep else where.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

You could block the openings on the nesting boxes at night and after a few nigh s they might get used to roosting some where else.

 

[HEChicken]

First, they want to roost as high as they can get, so if you make your roosts higher than the nest boxes, those will become a more appealing place to sleep. Second, if you can block off the nests at night, that will discourage them. I actually just installed my nest box unit in my new coop today and I'm going to use feed sacks lightly tacked to the top to block off the nests at night. None of the birds currently in that coop is laying yet but one is looking like she is almost ready so I want to leave her access during the day so she can check them out, but block them at night so they can't sleep in them. I figured feed bags that could hang in front during the night but be flipped up and over to open them up during the day, would be the way to go.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I will try blocking them off tomorrow. The roosting bars are higher than the boxes but my cream legbar seems to think its more comfortable to have your bum on someone elses head.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

My pullets are to young to lay eggs as yet, so I don't have any bedding in the nest boxes. Since there are no shavings in the boxes they are not warm and inviting to the pullets. This has worked great at keeping them from using the boxes.

 

[Mattemma]

Would say cover them. I have a bodah box and I would just turn the opening to the wall,and in the am turn it back.

 

[Blondiechic]

Glad you asked this as my Silkies do the same thing and every evening I go out and move the to the warmer dog kennel I got them. I mean, really, do they seriously think three grown Silkies can fit in one box? Lol

 

[PaulaSB12]

You want to see 4 hens trying to sit in the same nesting box I hope they don't fart or with that small space it wouldn't be good.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

My four gals are doing the same thing but - to be fair - I've only had them 3 days so guess they're trying to get used to new surroundings. I decided to block off the nesting boxes last night. As we're in the midst of a nasty heat-wave, I took two empty gallon milk jugs, filled them with water, froze them, and put one in each nesting box. They're in a chicken tractor and the two frozen blocks made a difference in the temperature.

Three of the gals went to the roost. One gal decided to roost on top the nesting box with her butt hanging over the ice jug! While I didn't want her there, I didn't move her as she had the coolest spot in the house.

 

[MonsterClucker]

First night home my hens did this so I cut off the piece of wood in front of the nestbox that holds in the shavings, that worked....