Is there a way to keep hens from soiling the nesting boxes?

[KingFisher]

Quote:
Thank you for the link. I hope it will help. I found out I had been misinformed by my chicken caretaker, the hen has indeed been sleeping in the nesting box. Mystery solved. When I get home this weekend, I will try some of the methods of breaking her of this habit. I will probably put a board across the upper boxes at night and hopefully the problem will be solved. Thank you, everyone, for the helpful responses.

 

[leslie]

Are you certain that your friend is letting them out for the afternoon? Its easy to forget.
But I have lots of roost and I made the decision to add some and to put them closer together for the winter. NOW I have poop in the nest ..they do not seem to be liking the new roost maybe because they are too close together. They have trouble getting up on the roost. They want to stay on the ladder or in the nest.
IVe put them up on the roost for 3 days now..and today that dad blammed rooster got a leg loose and you should see my right arm. Its got his claw marks dug down almost to the bone and skin is laid back an inch. I bled till I thought I would bleed out getting into the house to put a clean rag on it with pressure.
I will carry that scar for a long long time. From now on who gets on the roost will be on the roost and the others I wish good luck to. Ive done my best with care and kiss my big toe!